


Behind the Scenes

by QueenGeekRose



Series: Mark X Poly!Reader X Jack [3]
Category: Game Grumps, Kids w/ Problems RPF, Lordminion777 - Fandom, Muyskerm - Fandom, PewDiePie - Fandom, jacksepticeye, markiplier - Fandom, youtube - Fandom
Genre: AU, Angst and Humor, Babies, Best Friends, Children, F/M, Feels, Fluff, I mean really A LOT of twisty plot, Jack is a Tease, Long, M/M, Mark Is A Flirt, Multi, Panic Attacks, Plot Twists, Polyamory, Protective Danny, Reader-Insert, Reader-Interactive, Romance, Series, Smut, So many babies, Surprises, slightly OOC
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-24
Updated: 2018-05-30
Packaged: 2018-08-12 05:26:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 361,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7922203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenGeekRose/pseuds/QueenGeekRose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The (first) sequel book to <b><i>The Other Side Of The Camera</i></b>.  Life is continuing for our intrepid trio, starting with the challenges of raising quadruplet toddler girls.  </p><p>This story takes place about a year after the end of the last book, in September.  Or the September after <b><i>Chasing the Birthday Girls</i></b> for those of you who read that one.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. And now, Back to our Show

I couldn't believe it was September already. The girls were growing up, now being a year and a half old. My heart was repaired and I was back to full health. The TV show had been renewed through at least its sixth season, adding more Internet celebrities and YouTubers every season. We had wrapped the third season in June and we were just gearing up for the launch of the fourth season, just after my birthday and Ken's which was actually going to be part of the plot of the first episode of the new season. Balancing my life was as complicated as ever, between the guys, work, YouTube, home, and the girls (I couldn't even call them the babies anymore), I was busy, even for me. And keeping four toddlers amused, from fighting, and chasing after them to keep them out of danger and trouble was almost a full time job. They had all walked and talked before they were a year old, so the house was full of noise and commotion most days. Felix and Marzia came over often, bringing their son, Jacob, to play with the girls. Jacob had just turned one in July. Arin and Suzy had an adorable little girl, who they named Katie, who was going to be one in November, just two months from now.

Ken and I had plans this year to have a birthday bash weekend, combining the parties so we could include everyone more easily. But first we had to get through another PAX. PAX West was this weekend, bringing with it the whole set of challenges that conventions always brought, plus the added issues of where the girls were going to stay for the week we would be gone. If Mark's mom, stepmom, and my mom hadn't volunteered to come stay for a while, we would have been in big trouble. Fortunately, they did offer, so we were flying them in to watch the girls at our house while we were gone. That's actually where Mark was right now, picking them all up from the airport. Jack and I were watching the girls and trying to get dinner made. Sammi wasn't feeling well and was clinging like a burr to me, and had been all day. Tiana was sleeping, having the same cold as her sister. So far Dani and Stephanie were healthy, so Jack was playing with them, outside. I was holding Sammi on one hip while I worked on dinner, not the easiest task ever, but one I had become adept at since the girls were born and I was back to full health. All four of them were used to being carried around on one of my hips. Jack and Mark usually carried them on their shoulders. A small whimper from Sammi made me look at her more closely. She was trying not to cry. "Oh Samantha, baby, I'm so sorry you don't feel good. I know you want to stay with Momma, but don't you think laying down on the couch, under one of Momma's special blankets, and watching a video would be better? As soon as Momma finishes making dinner, she can come join you." 

Sammi shook her head. "No. No wanna. Need Momma."

I smiled at her. "Baby, I know you need me." I kissed her forehead and frowned. She had a fever. I shifted her in my arms, bringing her up for a hug. Her eyes were glassy. Not good. I grabbed the thermometer and took her temperature. It was up to one hundred one point eight. I was worried. "Sam, come on, you need to lay down. No arguments. I will give you a popsicle if you are good and do what I say."

Sammi pouted. "Don't want a popicwe." She snuggled into me. "I cowd." I frowned again, looking at the food I had started to assemble for the meal. I sighed. Sammi was more important than cooking right now. I stuck everything back in the fridge and cupboards, sitting Sammi on the edge of the counter so I could work faster. She giggled as she watched me, before she started coughing. I picked her back up a few seconds later, snuggling her, and carrying her to the living room. I grabbed a bunch of throw pillows and two of my special extra soft and fluffy blankets and made her a mini pillow fort, settling her inside. "No Momma. Too smaw. You no fit." 

I sighed again and took her out, unmaking the fort, resting her tiny body on a nest of the pillows instead. Then I covered her with the green blanket I had used and settled in next to her, cuddling her close. "Is this better sweetie?" She nodded and yawned. 

"Momma? My neck hurts. Inside."

"Your throat?" I pointed to my throat. She nodded again.

"Uh huh. Owie. It's aww scratchy." She coughed again and started to cry.

I reached down and hugged her. "Oh baby, I'm so sorry. I wish I could kiss it all better for you, but this boo-boo is inside, where Momma can't reach to fix it. I'm going to give you some medicine though, and that should help okay?" She nodded. "Wait right here, okay sweet pea? Momma will be right back." I ran for the bathroom and grabbed the children's cold medicine and baby pain killers the pediatrician had recommended when we called yesterday. We also had an appointment to take the girls in tomorrow, before we needed to leave for PAX. I was feeling extremely guilty about going, but our Moms had assured us they could handle things and that all three of us needed to go. I also grabbed the sore throat lollipops for toddlers the doctor had suggested, finding the blue and green ones, and grabbing one of each, tucking them in a pocket. Then I headed back to Sammi, measuring the medicine carefully. "Here, Sam. Take this. No, swallow it. I know it doesn't taste good, but it will help you feel better, I promise. Good girl. Now, this one tastes better. Just a little bit, here you go. It's going to make your owwies not as bad." After she swallowed the medicine I hugged and kissed her again. "Thank you my brave little warrior. Now, I have a treat for you too, to help with your sore throat. Do you want blueberry or watermelon?" I held out the lollipops. Sammi smiled and grabbed for the watermelon one. I held it back for a second.

"I sorry Momma. I no grab. Can I pwease have the green one?"

"Of course." I unwrapped it. "Here you go. Now get comfortable. We're going to watch some videos." I stood up and heard Tiana cry. "Sammi, I have to go get Ti. She's awake now. Do you want your Sam plushie?"

"Yes, pwease Momma. I stay here." she yawned hugely. "I warm." 

I smiled and nodded to her. "Than I'll be right back." I went into the nursery and picked up Tiana. She immediately stopped crying, but started coughing. I felt her forehead, realizing she was feverish too. I grabbed Sammi's plushie SepticEye Sam, and Tiana's plushie TinyBox Tim, tucked them under one arm, and carried Tiana on the other hip. When I got to the living room, I set Tiana down, handed both girls their plushies, and made a pillow nest for Tiana on the other side of the couch, grabbing my violet fluffy blanket for her, tucking her in like I had Sam. "Are you girls good for a second?" Both of them nodded. I ran back to the bathroom, grabbed the second measuring cap for the medicine and a grape lollipop for Tiana before dashing back. "Okay. Ti, can you be a good, brave girl like Sammi? She had to take some medicine to feel better, and she did a good job, so she got a treat. I have one for you too, if you can be brave and take the medicine to help you feel better and stop coughing so much. Can you do it, baby?"

Tiana looked at me. "Yes Momma." Her voice was raspy and barely a whisper. I hugged her and kissed her forehead. I measured out the medicines, one at a time and watched her take them. Then I unwrapped the grape lollipop and watched her eyes light up. "Ooh! I wove Purpwe. It tastes yummy! Thank you! Smoochies! *Mwhaa!*"

I chuckled and handed her the lollipop, amused at her stage kiss and enthusiasm. I left the room just long enough to grab my cell phone and put the medicines back away, tucking a few more lollipops in my pockets. Then I settled back in the couch, cuddling the girls in close, grabbing a blanket of my own, in soft silver with the channel logos for Jack, Mark, and me. It had been a mother's day present from the guys to me, and I loved it. I turned the lights down in the room, and turned the TV on, putting some classic Sesame Street on. The girls were instantly drawn in, and I smiled, remembering watching these same episodes as a child. The girls snuggled in as close as they could to me, and before long they were both asleep. I gently took my phone out and texted Mark, asking him to pick up some dinner on the way home, explaining Sammi and Ti were both sicker now and needed my attention. I had just sent the text when Jack came in with Dani and Steph. Fortunately, he saw the lowered lights and the way the girls were curled up on the couch and was able to keep Dani and Stephanie quiet, while he walked with them to the playroom. Half an hour later, he carried Dani in and handed her to me, a worried look on his face. "Love, Dani seems ta be getting sick now too. She's warm and she just stopped playing, sitting on tha floor not doing anything. She said her throat hurts."

I looked at Dani. "Oh, sweetie, it sound like you have the same thing your sisters do. Do you want a pillow nest too? Daddy can make you one. Or you can snuggle in Momma's lap. But first, Daddy needs to give you some medicine. Your sisters had to take some too, and they both got a treat for being good and brave afterwards. You will too, if you can take the medicine without fussing okay?"

Dani looked at me, sadness in her eyes. "No. Don't want icky."

I sighed. "I know, baby. But it will take the ouchie out of your throat and help you stop coughing. What flavor of lollipop would you like after you take the medicine? Your sisters picked grape and watermelon, but we also have blueberry, pineapple, strawberry, and banana coconut."

Dani's eyes lit up. "Banana pwease!" 

I chuckled and held the white lollipop up. "First you have to take the two medicines Daddy is going to give you, okay?"

Dani looked a little sad, but determined. "K, Momma. I brave." 

I kissed her forehead. "I know you are, sweetheart." I turned to Jack. "The two medicines are in the bathroom, on the counter. There are also clean measuring caps in there as well. Can you bring one out and the two bottles, please Jack?" He nodded and stepped out of the room. Dani climbed under the blanket, instead of sitting on top of it and shivered a little. I hugged her while we waited. When Jack came back, he had two of the measuring caps. He poured the first dose and handed it to Dani. She scrunched her face up and took it, making a gagging noise afterward. I grinned and handed the cap back to Jack, who measured the second medicine out for her. We both watched Dani take that one. I smiled and kissed her cheek. "Good girl. Here's your treat." I unwrapped the lollipop and handed it to her, hugging her close. "Daddy, can you do me two favors now? Can you bring Dani her stuffed dog? And can you check to see if Stephanie has a fever, please?"

Jack nodded. "Yes, love. That's why I brought out tha second measuring cap too. I have tha feeling ye're about ta be buried in toddlers. I'll grab Stephanie's dragon too."

"Thanks Jack." I shifted Dani slightly, so she was resting on one side of my body, instead of splayed across my entire lap, and got her comfy. Tiana and Sam slept on. Jack came back with a coughing and miserable looking Stephanie a minute later, handing her over to me. I got her settled on my lap and we repeated the medicine treatment, gave Stephanie and Dani their plushies, and gave Steph a strawberry lollipop for her throat after she took the medicine. Sesame Street played on, drawing Dani and Steph in until they too fell asleep. I looked down and grinned. 

Jack came over and rested against the back of the couch, just behind me, wrapping his arms around my shoulders and kissing my cheek. "Ye're such a good mom, love. Ye got all four of them ta sleep and take their medicine. Plus ye were patient and made them feel like they got a reward for being good, even though ye were giving them more medicine." 

I smiled, turning my face towards him. "Thank you sweetie. I just wish I could make them all feel better before we have to leave. I'm still feeling really guilty about leaving for the convention while they don't feel good. I feel like I ought to stay and take care of our girls instead of running off to Seattle, even if it is for work."

I heard a chuckle from the doorway behind us. Suddenly, all three grandmothers came into view. Mom came around the couch. "Now, [y/n], be sensible. The girls are going to be fine. We can handle taking care of them for a few days. Besides, I know we can call Eddie and Ray if we need backup. And all three of us know how to care for sick little ones. Stop worrying. Work is important too. You help a lot of people by doing what you do." She looked lovingly at the girls, all cuddled into me. "You do a lot of good here too. This is adorable. How are they doing?" Momiplier and Dee stepped over as well, making their own noises of delight. 

"They are all feverish, with sore throats, and feeling bad. Dani and Steph just started feeling bad a little while ago. We gave them their medicines the doctor recommended and they each got a sore throat lollipop before they fell asleep." I smiled at the grandmothers. "Thanks for coming out. It's great to see all of you. Sorry I don't have dinner started. I was going to cook, but Sammi needed me more, then Tiana woke up again and needed me too. Just as I got them settled, Dani and Stephanie started to get sick. I'm afraid to get up to hug all of you know, because I'll wake the girls if I move."

Dee shook her head. "Of course you shouldn't move. And taking care of your sick kids is always going to come first. We know that. In fact, we've been talking in the car, and we're going to cook some dinner. We already decided. We made Mark promise not to get takeout like you suggested. Just stay there and take care of our granddaughters."

I smiled weakly. "Yes, ma'am." She grinned at me and walked away. Mom followed her into the kitchen. 

Momiplier came over and kissed each of the girls on the forehead, then hugged me, careful not to disturb the sleeping pile of bodies I was buried under. "Hang in there [y/n]. I know it's hard to see your babies sick, no matter how old they get to be. And really, don't worry. We can handle things. If anything comes up that we are uncomfortable with, we have all three of you on speed dial on all of our phones, and Seattle is not that far a flight. But honestly, you do need to work. It helps a lot of people and it sets a good example for the girls. But for now, just relax here with them and try to make them comfortable. I could feel they all had fevers when I kissed their foreheads." I nodded sadly and thanked her. Her kind words had done a lot to soothe the guilt I was feeling.

While the grandmothers made dinner, I had to soothe all four girls, who's fevers had spiked again and woke up, crying. Jack and Mark, who were sitting on either side of the couch in armchairs, got juice cups for each of them and ended up lifting Tiana and Sammi out of the pillow nests, clearing the pillows, and settling down with the girls in their laps, cuddled next to me, under blankets. Soon we were all just trying to help the girls feel better, but there wasn't very much we could do for them. They were all slightly glassy eyed with fever and kept rubbing at their throats. I handed out more lollipops, hugs, and kisses. The girls were almost unnaturally still and quiet after that, not sleeping, but just snuggling us. I looked at Mark and Jack worry in my eyes. They looked worried too. When they suddenly leaned into me, it actually helped, but now I was completely buried in bodies. Dani looked at me and patted my arm. "Good Momma. Sing pwease?" 

I smiled at her. "You want me to sing to you?" All four girls nodded and snuggled even tighter into me. "Okay. Maybe Daddy and Papa can join in. Would you like that?" The girls didn't respond, but Jack and Mark grinned at me. I thought for a minute and started singing a lullaby. Jack joined in almost immediately, with Mark only a few seconds behind. The girls all smiled and listened intently. 

"Thank you." Sammi whispered hoarsely, around her lollipop. Then she whined slightly, shifting in Jack's lap. "No feel good." 

"I know baby. I know. Did you girls know some of your grandmoms are here to help you feel better? They are in the kitchen making some dinner. Grandma, Nana, and Grammy all got here while you were napping." The girls looked at me and smiled for a few seconds before tucking their heads back down against me. "Girls? Can Momma please give you to your daddies so I can go use the potty? I promise to come right back. And as a treat, I'll bring back some books, and we can all read stories for as long as you want." Sammi and Dani scooted over a little and made room for Stephanie and Tiana. I handed them to Jack and Mark, passing kisses out to everyone and made a bathroom run, splashing some water on my face. I was feeling stressed and run down, and I could only hope I didn't catch whatever the girls had. When I finished, I washed up and took my temperature, but it was normal, which was reassuring, so I gathered up a stack of books for the girls and headed back in to the couch, setting the books down and detouring just long enough to go in the kitchen and get the bottle of juice. I also checked on Mom, Momiplier, and Dee. They reassured me they were fine and they were making chicken and dumplings for dinner, Momiplier's cure-all. I smiled. "Mark will love that. Okay, back to the front lines. Thanks for the help!" I headed back to the couch and sat down, immediately getting four little girls climbing onto me, and two shoulders leaned on by my boyfriends. I just had time to set the juice down before I was enveloped. 

Jack and Mark read story after story, switching so no one lost their voice. I alternated in with singing, since that's what the girls wanted. We made it through three songs and four stories before Mom came out and told everyone dinner was ready. I nodded as Mark, Jack, and I got up, taking the girls back for a hand washing, and settled them in their booster seats at the table. We started them all off with small bowls, but apparently they were hungry, because all four of them asked for more, twice. Momiplier was delighted. She refilled their bowls with a huge grin. Mark smiled too, happy to see his mom so happy. After dinner, the girls were all sleepy again, so we took them back to bed and got them settled. The grandmothers switched in, reading the stories tonight, while everyone got a grown up to snuggle with until all the stories were read. I managed to work it so I was able to slip away, the girls apparently happy to accept the grandmoms in place of Jack and me. I came out to the couch and started gathering blankets and toys to wash, hoping to control the germs. As soon as the washer was going, I headed back to the bedroom to finish packing our things for PAX. Then I collapsed in a heap on the bed, a migraine nagging behind my eyes. I rolled onto my stomach and covered my head with a pillow, to block out the light. I don't remember falling asleep, but the next thing I knew, I felt Mark's hands massaging my shoulders and Jack rubbing my lower back. I sighed, happily, but didn't move. "Babe, you are so tense! Are you that worried about the girls?"

I lifted the pillow and my head, wincing at the light. "PAX, the girls being sick, being a bad mom for leaving, sticking our mom's with four little sick babies, and work. And getting everything done I need to. And what the doctor will say tomorrow when we take the girls."

Jack came over and kissed me, leaning all the way down into the bed so he could reach me without making Mark move. "Love, relax. It's not all on ye. Ye're going ta make yerself sick if ye don't slow down. Honestly, Mark and I were worried about ye when ye didn't come back out ta tha living room. Now, what's wrong?"

I swallowed, looking down. "Sorry to worry you. I have a migraine. That's why I had to lie down. I didn't mean to fall asleep."

Jack settled on the bed, sitting so my head was in his lap, and started rubbing my temples and scalp. Mark kept working on my back. I sighed, relaxing a little again. "We love you babe. We don't mind if you need some sleep, we were just concerned. And I'm really sorry you have a migraine. Have you taken your migraine medicine yet?"

"No. I just laid down and covered my head to block out the light." Mark kissed my shoulder and left the room. Jack kept working on my head. I stopped him when I moved to sit up. "Jack, sweetie, you can stop. I should go take my medicine. And I need to get some housework done. I need to finish the laundry and dry the girls toys so they can have them when they wake up. I need to work on a vlog for my channel. And I need to..." 

Jack leaned forward and stopped me with a gentle kiss. "Not tonight lass. Mark and I can finish tha laundry. Ye just take yer medicine and lie back down. We got this."

"But..."

Mark stepped back in, holding a glass of water and my pill bottle. "No buts, Jack is right. If you get sick babe, it's going to be even more of a mess, so you have to let us take care of you. Now, Jack you get in bed with her and make sure she stays there. I'll be back in a few minutes. I'm just going to go say goodnight to Mom, Dee, and [y/n]'s Mom and throw the laundry in the dryer. I heard it buzz that it was done right before we came back looking for you, [y/n]." 

I took the pill bottle and fished one of my migraine pills out, swallowing it down with a drink of the water Mark had brought me. I put both the bottle and glass on the bedside table and stood up. Mark glared at me until I headed for the dresser and pulled out a nightgown, to change clothes. I raised an eyebrow at him, making him blush, and headed back toward the bed, where I sat down tiredly and started changing clothes. Mark headed out the door just before my shirt came off, but Jack came over to help. I smiled at him, but waved him off. He grinned and stripped down to his boxers, his usual sleep outfit, and crawled under the blankets, waiting for me. I put the nightgown on and joined him, snuggling into his side and closing my eyes as he leaned forward and began massaging my head once more, adding gentle kisses frequently. I relaxed, letting him work and savoring the quiet. Jack had turned the lights off, except the bedside lamp on Mark's side, while I was changing clothes, and in the semi-darkness, I fell asleep under Jack's attention. The last thing I remember was a quiet voice whispering "Sleep love. Ye can conquer tha world tomorrow." He followed that up with a gentle kiss on my temple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go! Now, word of warning. At least for the first few weeks, this will NOT be updating daily. I have a spinal tap Monday, which is it is anything like my last one, will give me a week long migraine. It also means I'm going to be away from my computer all day that day. 
> 
> And on the good news front, I'm getting a new computer! I just ordered it, and it will be here either next week or by the 10th of October, at the latest. W00t! No more typing on a dying computer or a tablet that the keyboard disappears half the time!


	2. PAX Travel Time *

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The girls go to the doctor and you, Jack, and Mark have to leave for PAX Prime.

The next morning Jack and I loaded all the girls in the car, climbing into the back with them, while Mark got the car started and drove us to the doctor. All four girls were still sick and today their voices were gone completely. The silence around me was unnerving, especially now that I was used to the usual noise levels of our family, a dull roar when it was quiet and a ear destroying racket, louder than many rock concerts, the rest of the time. I guess I should have expected it, since Jack and Mark are the girls fathers and I'm not the quietest either, but I was very glad we didn't have neighbors right on top of us. By the time we had gotten to the doctor's office, all the girls except Tiana were snuggling into Jack and I as much as they could, around their car seats. Tiana had fallen asleep with her plushie hugged tight to her little chest. Jack, Mark, and I unloaded the girls and carried them in. Somehow in the shuffling, I ended up carrying only Tiana, a rarity, since usually I ended up with at least two of the girls in my arms at a time. I was still exhausted from the stress and guilt of the girls being sick, and I think the guys knew that. Were all sitting snuggled close together with the girls in the waiting room when all four of them had their fevers spike. I felt Tiana's temperature rise and looked at Jack and Mark, tears in my eyes, only staying together because the other girls were watching. "She's getting sicker." My voice was broken whisper, but somehow Jack heard me. He leaned into my shoulder.

"Love, the doctor will be able ta help. That's why we're here. Try ta calm down, please. Mark and I need ye ta stay focused so we can get everyone back home and medicines dispensed. Ye know tha girls don't take them from us without a struggle. Ye seem ta be able ta reason with them. Plus, you're their Momma, and they trust ye. Tiana doesn't seem ta be in any great distress. Look, she's just snuggled inta ye like nothing's wrong other than she doesn't feel good. Ye know all tha girls do that when they aren't feeling well." He looked at me more closely. "Love? Are ye alright?"

I looked down. "I feel so useless and guilty. How did I let the girls get sick?"

Mark heard me and made a noise. "Babe, you didn't cause this. They're friendly little girls who get into everything. At their age, most kids are sick all the time. I think we're doing pretty well. Let's see what the doctor says before you get too worked up. Oh, and when we get back, we might have to avoid the girls for a few days, until we see if we catch anything from the convention. Although, I plan to practically bathe in hand saniziter again, so I should be okay."

I made a face at him. "Well, we'll see. I hope this isn't anything too bad. You're right though. Compared to most of kids we know their age, the girls hardly ever get sick. I just feel guilty whenever they do."

Jack leaned closer and kissed my cheek. "Of course ye do. 'Cause yer a good Momma, right girls?" Three little heads nodded and tried to dive out of their daddies arms to hug me all at once. I smiled and kissed each of them on the forehead, noting all of them had rising fevers as well. Finally, I leaned over and kissed Mark, then Jack. 

"Thanks guys." I rested my hand on Tiana's back and gently rubbed, hoping to make her feel better, even for just a few minutes in her sleep. It seemed to work, because she smiled and curled in a little closer. A minute later the nurse came out and called us back. Heights, weights, and temperatures were checked, unfortunately waking Tiana, but the girls were good sports and cooperated well. The nurse wrote everything down and stepped back out of the room, promising the doctor would be in to see us in just a minute. All four girls were sitting on the exam table, hugging a toy close to them, looking a little scared. I leaned forward and brushed the hair from Sammi's face. "Hey sweetie, what's wrong, other than you not feeling good?"

"Momma, I no want a shot."

I leaned over and kissed her forehead softly, hugging her. "Well, I can't promise the doctor won't give you a shot, but I can promise that you won't get one unless you absolutely need it. That goes for all of you, girls. Were you all worried about that?" I looked around and saw three other little heads nod. "Girls, you know Momma won't let the doctors do anything that isn't in your best interest. Your Daddy and Papa won't let that happen either. Now, scoot over and give your Momma a hug." All four of them smiled and crowded over, grabbing me tight. I smiled at each of them as I hugged them. Jack and Mark were smiling as well, giving each of them a kiss on the forehead as they settled back in more comfortable seats around the exam table. When they were all resettled, I noticed they were smiling again and not looking so scared. "There are my good, brave girls. Now, if you all stay so brave, we might have to stop on the way home and get a treat."

Dani grinned. "I want a wowwipop. Peas." Sammi nodded.

Stephanie looked at me. "Can we get a 'prise, instead? Your 'prises are awways good." 

Mark chuckled in my ear. "You're right Steph, Momma's surprises are always good. Let's see if we can all be brave first before we decide what we're going to get okay?" All four girls nodded and looked back down at the toys they were holding. Sammi and Tiana started playing with them, Dani was singing quietly to hers, but Stephanie just held hers tight, looking a little nervous. Jack stepped over and tried to get her attention, but she wasn't really in a playful mood, so Jack gave up just as the doctor got into the room. I smiled. It was Dr. Sam Roberts, the girls usual doctor. 

Sammi saw him first. "Hi Dr Sam! We's aww here to see you cuz we gots sick. Our throats hurt." Steph, Dani, and Tiana all nodded, waving a little at the familiar face. "I's gwad it's you. You're a nice doctor. And we has tha same name." Sammi grinned. 

I looked at the doctor and smiled. "Yes, as Sammi said, all four girls have very sore throats, not much energy, and fevers. They started getting sick yesterday. Thanks for getting us in on such short notice."

Dr. Roberts grinned broadly. "And miss seeing my favorite little patients? No way. Besides, I know you are all busy. Now, let's see. Who's the braves little princess here, who wants to let me look at her throat and wipe it with a long q-tip?" He looked at the girls. All of them looked a little unsure. 

I stepped forward. "Why don't you check mine first, so the princesses can see how it works? Girls, you have to watch carefully. Go ahead Dr. Sam." I sat down on the edge of the exam table so the doctor could see into my mouth and opened wide, letting him shine the light down my throat and use the tongue depressor to hold my tongue still. He gently wiped a swab on the back of my throat and put it in a bag, labeling it with my name. He patted my knee, winking, and felt my neck on either side, explaining he was feeling to make sure my neck wasn't swollen. Then he stepped back, telling me I was all done. I hopped down and looked at the girls. "Who's next?" 

Sammi looked at her sisters and scooted forward a little. "I's brave. I'w go." I smiled and held her on my lap while the doctor examined her. When he was done, he took her temperature again. I pulled out one of the cough suppressant lollipops, a blue one, and gave it to her, handing her to Mark to cuddle while she tried to stop coughing. As soon as Tiana saw the lollipop, she volunteered to go next. Jack cuddled her with a grape lollipop afterward. Stephanie and Danielle were more reluctant, and I had to hold both of them afterwards, but eventually all four girls were checked. The doctor made some notes on his computer and sent the swabs to the lab onsite, promising to call us if anything came up as unusual. In the meantime, he gave all four girls a prescription for some stronger fever reducing medication and a cough suppressant. We thanked the doctor and loaded everyone back in the car. 

I looked at the girls. "Is anyone hungry?" All four of them shook their heads no. "Really? Okay. I guess we can have lunch at home later. Now, for your treat, we can either get you each a small toy or a balloon. Which do you want?" 

Sammi shook her head, sadly. "Wanna go home. I's sweepy. Wan grandma cuddwes." Her sisters all chimed in with the same request, making me smile. 

"Well, okay. Papa, please drive us home. Oh, and stop at the pharmacy to get the medicine please. The doctor called it in and it should be ready by the time we get there. Thank you. Daddy, can you keep me and the girls company while we ride home?" Jack grinned and climbed into the back with me, helping me keep the girls calm and comfortable on the way home. All of them fell asleep before we pulled into the pharmacy and stayed asleep until much later in the afternoon. Jack, Mark, Mom, Dee, Momiplier, and I had all carried them and their stuff in without waking them. I even managed to finish packing our things for PAX before the girls woke up again. Mark loaded the luggage in my car, which we were taking and parking at the airport so the van would be available for hauling the girls around while we were away. Jack and I rushed around the house, making sure everything was where it was supposed to be, nothing important would run out while we were gone, and the grandmothers were all comfortable. They clucked and chuckled over us, telling us not to worry so much, but we were both running on a lot of nervous energy. Mark came in when the car was loaded and looked at the two of us. He pulled Jack aside and said something that made Jack pause and calm down, but I don't know what because I just kept rushing around until I heard the girls calling. Then I rushed into the nursery to see what I could do to help them. "Hey there girls, did you call Momma?"

Tiana nodded. "Wan up. Can I peas go see Granma again?" I smiled, nodded and helped her out of the toddler bed, carrying her to Mom. "GRANMA!!!" She squealed and practically jumped from my arms into Mom's lap. "I missed you. I wove you. How comes you don't see me more?"

I sighed. "Ti, baby, we talked about this. Grandma, Granny, Grandpa, Grammy, and Nana live at their homes which are far away, so they can only see you sometimes. It makes the visits more special."

Tiana made a face, crossed her arms, and sighed. I bit back a grin. "Okay. I no wike it. Want Granma cuddwes aww the time." As if to illustrate her point, she leaned into Mom and snuggled down into her chest, curling up. Mom laughed and stroked her head, clearly amused. I shook my head at the toddler, who was acting more like a teenager, and walked back into the nursery to see who else was awake. Mark and Jack were already in there when I got back, talking to Dani and Steph. I stepped over to Sammi's bed and peeked in. She was just starting to wake up, and I could tell she was still feeling pretty sick. 

She tried to talk, but her voice came out, rough as a crow, raspy and sounding painful. "Momma. I awake." She reached up and grabbed her throat with one hand as tears rolled down her cheeks. I reached down and picked her up, kissing her gently.

"Shh. Sammi, it's okay. I know it hurts. You don't have to talk." I hugged her close. "How about some snuggles with Nana? Would that make you feel better? And some of Momma's special tea?" Sammi looked sad. I reached down and grabbed her caped SepticEye Sam plushie and handed it to her. "Here, Sam can help you be brave, okay?" She nodded and I walked into the living room with her. Momiplier and Dee were looking eagerly for the next toddler to cuddle with and smiled big at Samantha. I walked over and sat down between them, offering Sammi a choice. She tucked her head into my arm and pointed at Dee, who grinned. I handed her over, kissed Momiplier's cheek, and headed into the kitchen, to brew an extra large batch of my special get-well tea. I made about a gallon and filled all four girls spill-proof cups with some, carrying them out and handing them to the girls, who were all now snuggled into the sides of grandmothers, with Dani grinning and sitting in between Mom and Momiplier, looking very happy. I handed tea around and lollipops, telling Mom what and where they were, along with the other medicines the girls needed. Jack and Mark came over and were gently trying to get me out the door. I waved goodbyes and distributed goodbye kisses one more time before I let them haul me out, but they nearly had to pick me up and drag me out as it was. 

Mark looked at me as I settled in the car, looking worried and sad. "Babe, the girls will be okay. Our mom's all know how to take care of kids. I mean, they raised us and our siblings. Plus, we aren't going to be that far away or unreachable. Come on, please try to calm down." I looked at him, unshed tears in my eyes. Jack saw as well and immediately climbed in the backseat next to me, cuddling close. I clung to him more than I would like to admit, but refused to cry. 

Jack just hugged me the whole trip to the airport. "Shh. Love ye are going ta make yerself sick. Tha girls are fine. I know ye feel guilty about leaving while they are sick, but I promise, nothing bad is going ta happen. They won't even remember later either, if that's what yer worried about. They need ta see ye do well at yer job too though, besides just being supermom. Now, can ye smile for me? I miss seeing yer gorgeous smile." I chuckled weakly and tried to smile. Jack grinned. "Well, it's not a real smile, but it's a start. Relax. Yer mom will call if something comes up, ye know that. We can be back home in a few hours." He stroked my hair gently and I nodded, calming down now that we were underway and the girls weren't here to keep reminding me of my guilt. By the time we got to the airport, I was back under control and able to function somewhat normally again. 

I looked at the men as we got out of the car. "Sorry for falling apart that way. I thought I could handle this. I mean, this isn't even the first convention we've been to since the girls were born. And they have all been sick before. I don't know what's wrong with me." I shook my head. They both waved me off and we got checked in, waiting in first class for the flight to leave. Before I knew it, the flight was lifting off and the seatbelt sign turned off. I got up to use the bathroom and when I came back, fans immediately saw me, spotted Mark and Jack, and started making their way over to talk to us. The familiar patterns of interacting with fans calmed me the rest of the way down. By the time we landed, I was completely back to my old self and bubbling with energy. 

Jack took one look at me as I grabbed the luggage and laughed. "Love, ye look much happier. I'm glad. Ye seem ready ta conquer tha world now."

I grinned, sassy thoughts crossing my mind, but didn't say anything, just continuing to pull our bags off the carousel. Mark came over and hugged me around the waist, resting his head on my shoulder. "So pretty lady, we have nothing at all to do today but get settled in. Any plans?" 

I turned to him. "Well, I might have some ideas. It depends on whether or not our friends are already here or if they spot us..." I winked at him and gave Jack a look as well, promising some fun together later. They both grinned at me, then immediately groaned when they heard someone call out their names. I looked up and saw Aaron, or Yamimash, headed our way. I smiled at him and waved. He grinned and waved back speeding up a little. A few minutes later, just as he got to our group, someone called out my name and I turned to see who was calling me. I grinned when I saw Tyler Oakley headed my way. I had met him fairly recently at an awards event for YouTubers promoting the LGBTQA+ community, where we were both being honored. I was still surprised that I was viewed as a community leader and spokesperson for the poly segment of the spectrum, but was glad to see it becoming more accepted. Aaron pulled Mark and Jack into a discussion while I chatted with Tyler as we all headed out to find taxis to get to our hotels. After a few minutes, we discovered all of us were in the same hotel, and actually had rooms fairly close together. We all managed to squeeze into one cab, mostly because I was willing to sit on either Mark's or Jack's lap, which caused a short disagreement between them until they decided I would just have to sit balanced between them. I laughed a little and gave them both a kiss. "Guys, I love you both. No need to fight over me." Tyler laughed as well.

When we got to the hotel to check in, it was crowded and the lobby was packed with fellow YouTubers. Tyler got checked in right away and headed off, promising to try to meet up with me again soon. I smiled and nodded as he headed off. Aaron had disappeared as soon as we got in the lobby, so we were just waiting in the check-in line when someone else called out to us. Jack sighed from where he was standing, his arms wrapped around my waist. "this is going ta be a long trip, isn't it? All I want ta do right now is snuggle with ye and Mark, but we can't even get ta tha room yet." 

I grinned at him. "Sweetie, I'm sure we can get some alone time soon. Lots of our friends are here though, who we don't get to see in person much. Especially now that we have the girls and are so busy. Just be patient. I promise, it will be worth the wait." I gave him a kiss, leading to a few whistles and cat-calls from around the lobby. I looked at Mark. "Are you okay?" 

He grinned at me. "I'm great. And I'm going to wait for a kiss until we are in a more private setting. I don't need the frustration." I giggled and blew him a kiss anyway. 

Jack hugged me tighter, whispering in my ear "He's not totally wrong. I love ye ta pieces, but yer kisses do cause me some frustration in public." I winked at him and hugged him back. He growled and I giggled. Just then, before anything else happened, we were called up to check in. We had been given a suite, so we hauled our luggage up and dropped it off in the room. I texted Mom that we were here, checked in, and asked how things were going at home. I was relieved to see the immediate response that Tiana and Stephanie seemed to be better and all four girls were doing fine. They had a tea party earlier and Sammi and Dani, who still seemed sick, were cuddling Nana now, and listening to stories while the other two played in the nursery with Mom and Dee was cooking dinner. I sighed, put my phone on the charger and flopped down on the bed, looking at Mark and Jack, who were checking things on their own phones. Jack heard me and looked over. "So, lovely lass, what shall we do now? Yer wish is our command." 

I grinned at him. "Well, I just checked in with Mom. Ti and Steph are back to normal, playing with her in their room. Dani and Sammi are listening to stories with Mark's Mom. Things at home are good. So, we can just enjoy some time alone here, if you two want, or we can go mingle and say hi to our friends in the lobby." I looked at them with a smirk. "I think I know Jack's vote. Mark?" 

Jack growled and laughed, practically pouncing on me on the bed. I kissed him again as I looked at Mark. He grinned, kicked his shoes off, and headed for the bed, a clear look of interest and lust on his face. Finally, some alone adult play time. Just as we got ready to relax and enjoy things, someone knocked on the door. All three of us groaned. Since Mark and Jack had already started stripping, I stood up and walked over to the door, opening it slowly to see who was there. It was the entire Revelmode group, except Mark and Jack. They grinned as I turned around and told Jack and Mark who was there, and Felix pushed his way into the room. "Bros, you can do whatever it is you had planned later. We're going out now for dinner, and we aren't taking no for an answer." He paused and looked at the the two men on the bed, half clothed, and then looked at me. "Whoa. Uh. Oops? Sorry to barge in and interrupt."

I laughed and waved him back out, stepping into the hall with the rest of the group so Mark and Jack could get dressed again. "We can do that later, but I warn all of you now, if we get interrupted again, we are going to be upset and LOUD. And none of you have heard me get loud yet." I smirked. "Jack may be known for his loudness, but I can make him seem like a whisper." Everyone laughed, except Felix, Ken, and Marzia, who looked thoughtful, probably because they knew me better. Mark and Jack dragged themselves out into the hall a minute later, and we all headed out for dinner. I winked at Mark's whining. Jack was a little more subtle, but he kept making grumpy faces all evening. We still had fun and I made sure the two of them ate plenty of dinner. Felix got teased by everyone for being oblivious when he barged in, and we all got some good natured teasing for not being able to keep our hands off each other for long. I smiled and kept quiet, mostly, snuggling Mark and Jack, whenever I though people weren't looking and stealing kisses all evening. I finally got them cheered up and they were able to enjoy the rest of dinner. After we ate, I told the group we were going back to our room and wished them all goodnight, promising to catch up with them more later. Jack and Mark grinned as I grabbed their hands and lead them away, blushing as they heard the hoots and teasing being thrown our way. I ignored it. When we got to the room once more, I locked the door with a ferral smile. "Okay. No more interruptions. Unless the hotel is on fire, we are not answering this door again. Now, I'm going to go get in the shower. Who wants to join me?" Both men grinned and ran for the bathroom. I stripped my clothes off before I even got to the bathroom, and smiled when I saw both Mark and Jack were naked as well. We turned the water on, jumped in, and all of ready to have some fun. Jack and Mark had even remembered the condoms and were lubed up. Before long we were all lost in the pleasure of each other's arms. 

After we eventually got out of the shower, we moved to the bed, exhausted and satisfied for the moment, but none of us moved to get dressed. We cuddled together, naked in the middle of the bed for a long time, just relaxing and enjoying some free time, away from any responsibilities. I reached over and checked my phone a few times, but other than that, we just focused on each other. We were completely relaxed for the first time in ages. I never even realized I fell asleep in Mark's and Jack's embrace until I woke up the next morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slow updates right now people. I'm still recovering from the spinal tap, which went poorly. I've had the worst migraine of my life ever since Monday and have been throwing up from the pain. No more spinal taps for me, unless there is an extremely compelling and urgent reason. So anyway, I haven't been up to writing much. As soon as I'm feeling better, the updates should be more frequent again. Also, I think I got a cold somehow, which is making things worse. I sound really freaky when I talk and have a really runny nose. Bleah.
> 
> Also, because of feeling ill, I've barely gotten to explore my new computer! Finally got a replacement one for my old one which died completely last weekend. Oh, and I got Overwatch for my birthday, and I haven't even gotten to look at that either. At least I have something fun to look forward to!


	3. PAX West Adventures, Day 1

The next morning, our schedules for the convention arrived. Mark, Jack, and I were all exceptionally busy this year at the convention. Besides the usual signings, Mark's panel, Jack's panel, a Revelmode panel, and a panel about the TV show, I also had a panel and signing, and all three of us had a Q and A session. We grimaced and complained to each other about how busy we were going to be as soon as we saw the official schedules. The only bit of good news to come out of the scheduling was all three of us were free whenever the others had an event, unless we were planned into the event as well. For instance, Mark's panel, the usual Markiplier and Friends panel, was scheduled when I was free, and Jack was already planned in as part of the panel, as usual. When Mark noticed this, he grinned. I smiled as well, promising to sit front and center, cheering them both on. They smiled at me when I said this, but didn't comment. After we had gone over the official schedules, we saw there was a meet and greet breakfast for all the talent this year, over at the convention center, and it started in about thirty minutes. We all got out of bed and took a fast shower together, before getting dressed fast and heading out for the day. We made it exactly on time, which I joked was a first since the girls had arrived. Mark and Jack laughed along with me as we found seats. Bob, Wade, Mandy, Molly, Felix, Marzia, Ken, and Mary were all seated at a table and had clearly been reserving seats for us. We grinned at our friends and sat down. Felix smiled at us. "You bros look at lot more relaxed than yesterday."

I laughed as Jack and Mark both blushed scarlet. "Felix, don't be a brat. I know for a fact since Marzia had Jacob, the two of you both take time out to do things alone together whenever you can. I very much doubt we were the only ones enjoying some alone time together here at the hotel last night." Felix blushed brighter red than either Jack or Mark had, a look very like when I caught one of the girls being naughty on his face. Marzia laughed, grinning at me. I looked around the table, catching similar looks of embarrassment on most of the men at the table and amusement on the ladies faces. I laughed again, shaking my head. "Honestly."

Marzia hugged Felix around the shoulders, leaning into his side, before adding her opinion. "Felix, sweetie, she's absolutely right here. And you know how rare alone time is for us, with Jacob. They have four times the little ones to distract them and potentially walk in on things they shouldn't see." She smiled at me again. "I don't know how you keep up with everything."

I chuckled. "I organize everything and keep everyone on schedules. Chaos is still a common things for us, but at least I can manage some of it and keep it from overwhelming us. I also have always had a lot of energy. That helps a lot." I stretched a little, yawning. "Now, I need some tea and food to wake up. And then I need to tackle getting all of our schedules synced. Are the rest of you very busy? Jack, Mark, and I are going to be running full tilt this whole convention." I pulled out the schedule and looked at it again. "I feel like we are going to have to schedule time to breathe on here, somewhere."

Wade leaned over to look. "Whoa. Is that really your schedule? What do they expect you to do, split into four people each?"

I laughed. "Yeah, actually that's almost exactly what I thought earlier. My schedule is the purple. Jack's is the blue, and Mark's is the yellow. All three of us are in some of the events, and those are color coded with red. The ones with just Jack and Mark are green. I don't have any with just one of them, but I had planned to use orange for those. It's how I always make up our schedules at home too. And when I add the schedules of our editors and you guys, like I do for work, stripes and patterns get added to the mix. And at home the girls stuff is always bright pink on our calendars."

Jack grinned at me. "Ye keep everything running smoothly lass. Even with all tha mob ta control and all tha events ta plan and coordinate. I know yer assistant has asked both Mark and I how ye do everything, and we have no answers for her. We do appreciate it though. Now relax and eat yer breakfast. Yer going ta need tha energy for tha convention." I sighed and nodded, applying myself to the food in front of me, which I hadn't even realized had arrived. Talk around the table flowed to schedules for everyone else, and I was surprised how many of our friends were going to be almost as busy as the three of us. Jack grinned as he leaned over, kissing my cheek, after he finished eating. "Love, what are ye thinking about? Ye seem distracted this morning."

I blinked at him. "Sorry, sweetie. I was just trying to concentrate on our schedules, what everyone else has planned, and not worry too much about Sammi and Dani still being sick. I was also wondering how Momiplier, Dee, and Mom were holding up." I leaned my head onto his shoulder. "I know in my head they should be fine and the girls will be healthy again soon, but I still can't get my heart to believe it completely."

Jack reached over, pulling me in closer and hugging me. "They'll be fine, I promise. Now, please try ta relax a bit." He planted a gentle kiss on my forehead, looking worried. Mark was watching and smiled a little at our interaction, looking at me with concern as well. When Jack let me go, he immediately puled me in for a hug of his own. 

"Thanks guys. I don't mean to worry you. I just hate when unexpected things distract me."

Mark grinned at me. "We know. And you usually manage them pretty well, but there are a lot of them involved with conventions. We're just trying to make sure you're okay and not overthinking things. If you're that worried about the girls, call your mom, or mine, or Dee. They won't mind, and it might help you feel better. Besides, it will help you concentrate on your events if you call right before you go out and deal with the crowds." I snuggled in closer to him and smiled. Mark kissed my cheek, squeezing tighter for just a second before he let me go with a sigh. 

I sighed as well and sat back up. Mark and Jack were right. I finished eating as much as I wanted and excused myself to go make the phone call home. Mom picked up on the second ring. "Hi Mom. Just checking in while I have a free minute to see how everyone's doing this morning."

Mom chuckled. "Right. And you felt guilty about not being here because the girls are sick. I understand. Actually, Stephanie and Tiana seem to be completely healthy again and Dani is almost all better too. Sammi still has a sore throat and has lost her voice, but she's sitting with Mark's mother and listening to stories, so she's fine. Dee and I have been playing with the rest of the girls in the playroom. Now, can you relax and concentrate on your job?"

I smiled into the phone. "Almost. Can I say hi to the girls?"

Mom laughed again. "Of course. Hang on a second." I could hear her walking around and her talking on the other end to someone. Then loud squeals of delight. "Okay, they all want to say hi to Mommy now. Tiana's up first."

I heard hands clapping and suddenly all I heard on the other end was breathing. I grinned. "Hello, Tiana. How are you doing today?"

Ti squealed again. "Momma! I's all better now. Gramma and Grammy are pwaying with us. We's going to have a tea party water."

"That sounds like a lot of fun, baby. Now, I think you better let me talk to one of your sisters. Momma, Daddy, and Papa love you lots! We'll see you soon." Ti giggled, blew me a stage kiss through the phone and dropped it on the floor. I sighed a little, relieved and amused. 

When I heard another tiny voice on the other end and breathing, I grinned. "Momma! I wove you! I's dressed up! Gramma and Grammy are wots of fun."

"Well that's good baby. I'm glad you and your sisters are having fun Steph. You sound like you feel a lot better too. Papa, Daddy, and Momma are all really busy, but we love you all and miss you a lot."

"Don't be sad Momma. We's okay. Sammi is stiw sick, but me feews better. *MWAH!* Kisses! Hey! Ti, that's mine! No!" Suddenly there was a another thump as the phone once again hit the floor for a few seconds. I sighed and shook my head.

When Dani picked it up, she didn't breathe heavily into the mouth piece, surprising me. "Momma?"

"Dani! Hi baby. How are you feeling today? Is your throat still sore and scratchy?"

"No, Momma. I's doing better today. Sammi's sick, but she's wistening to stories with Nana. Gramma is making me drink extra tea today, but I feews better, I promise."

"Good, baby. I hate it when you girls are sick. So does Papa and Daddy. We all miss you and love you lots. Now, can you give the phone back to Grandma? I want to talk to her again before I say hi to Sammi. Be good."

"Bye bye Momma. *MWHA!* Smoochies!" 

Mom's voice came back over the phone. "Felling better now?"

"Yes, thanks Mom. For everything."

She chuckled. "No problem. I love spending time with my granddaughters. And the stage kisses you taught them are adorable."

I laughed. "We didn't teach them those. We aren't quite sure where they got those, but yeah, they are adorable. How are you, Dee, and Mark's Mom holding up?"

"We're all fine. Honestly, the girls are better, except Sam, who's extra cuddly right now. I take it you want to talk to her before you go?"

"Yes please. Thanks again Mom."

"Anything for you dear. Now, talk to Sammi, then get back to work. We'll call you if there are any problems. Bye baby."

"Bye Mom." I heard her tell Sammi someone wanted to talk to her on the phone and hand the phone over. I winced a little as I heard Sammi's cough, but covered my feelings up as I greeted her. "Sammi! How are you feeling baby?"

"Momma?"

"Yup. It's me. I just wanted to call and check in on my brave little girls and see how you were all feeling today. Grandma told me you still don't feel good. I'm so sorry. Make sure you stay bundled up under a blanket and take your medicines, sweetie. Momma, Daddy, and Papa are thinking about you and love you. We miss you too. We'll be home in a few days, I promise."

"Okay Momma. I's starting ta feew better. Nana and I are reading stories under a bwanket. I's taking my medicine, even though it's icky. Nana gave me a green wowwipop after. I be good. My throat hurts now, so I going ta say bye bye. *MWHA* Smoochies! Tew Daddy and Papa bye bye!" I heard her drop the phone and start coughing again. 

Momiplier picked up. "[Y/N]? We're all fine here. Tell Mark and Jack we say hi. Now, go focus on your job and helping the countless people the three of you reach and stop worrying. We'll be here waiting when you get home in a few days. Have fun and take care of the boys!" With that, before I could even say anything in response, she hung up. I smiled and headed back in to where the boys were seated, feeling much calmer and more under control. As soon as I got back to my seat, Mark and Jack smiled at me, pulling me in for a kiss each.

"Feeling better, babe?"

I nodded. "Yeah, thanks Mark. Sammi's still feeling a little under the weather, but everyone is doing fine. And all the girls send smoochies." I grinned, as did Mark and Jack. "And Sammi said to say bye bye to you both. I'm sure Dani, Tiana, and Steph would have as well if they had thought of it, but they were playing and were distracted. Sammi was reading with your mom, Mark, so she was less distracted and more focused on the phone call." I sighed and leaned into Jack's side again. "I wish Sam felt better, but you two were right, calling helped a lot." I closed my eyes for a few minutes and gathered myself. "Now, let's go get this convention under way!"

P

Jack grinned. "There's our lovely lass, back ta herself. Ye had us worried there for a few minutes love."

I smiled at him and shook my head. "I just needed to check in on things at home, I guess." I grinned. "And by the way, Jack, Sammi seems to have picked up your accent while she's sick. It was adorable." 

Jack grinned. "I noticed she talks like me sometimes. Dani does too. I'm not sure why those two are tha only ones that do it, but it is super cute."

Mark stuck out his tongue at Jack, then grinned. "They are always adorable. All four of them. And the two of you are as well." I giggled a little, especially when Ken, Felix, and Wade groaned. Bob just shook his head at us. The ladies were all smiling at us, enjoying our sweet talk, apparently. I blushed just a little. Mark and Jack grinned at each other and leaned in to me, kissing both my cheeks. Suddenly, we saw a flash of light and heard the snap of a camera. I looked up blushing brighter to see a photographer holding up her camera and grinning. Mark groaned a little.

The photographer turned out to be with PAX and was going to use the photo, with our permission, as a behind the scenes look at the talent side of the convention. It was going to be part of a collage or slideshow, showing candid moments. We all agreed after we saw the picture. The photographer grinned, commenting, "The three of you are super cute together. I'm sure you'll see me lurking, and I promise, if I take anymore photos of you, I will make sure you see them before they are published in any way. Fair enough?"

I glanced at Jack and Mark, who were nodding. I stuck out my hand to shake hers. "Seems fair. Thank you."

As soon as she headed off to snap more photos, I turned to the group. Before I could say anything though, Mark leaned over, looked at the schedule and grinned. "Babe, we better head out. You have a meet and greet to get to, and Jack and I have a signing. We'll see you later, okay? Bye sweetheart."

I smiled at him. "Bye guys. See you after your signing. Where are we meeting up?"

Jack smiled and pulled me in for one last, lingering kiss. "I'll ask tha volunteers for tha creators room that they have our boxes set up in. Ye do tha same, love. Have a good meet and greet!" Jack let go of me and headed off, following Mark, Bob, and Wade. 

I sighed and turned back to the rest of the group at the table. "So, what do the rest of you have planned for today? Anyone else going to be at the meet and greet for the show now?"

Molly grinned at me. "I will be. Then I'm pretty free until Wade's next event. Which, I think, is the Markiplier and Friends panel tomorrow at one." I nodded at her, settling in a chair for a few minutes, mentally shifting gears. I looked at Felix, Marzia, Mary, and Ken.

Felix answered for himself, Marzia, and Ken. "We're going to be there for a while, but we have to slip out early for the Revelmode event at two. Then we have our panel tonight. Are you going to be able to make that one?"

I glanced down at my schedule and grinned. "Well. it says here that I'm on the panel, so I guess so. I feel bad, I had forgotten you asked. I'm flattered by the way. It sounds like it's going to be a lot of fun. Who else is on it this year?"

Felix chuckled. "Well, I asked you, Ken, Marzia, Mary, and your two boyfriends, but they both declined. Mary also declined. So, it's going to just be the four of us." I nodded. Since the start of my appearances on the TV show, my channel had taken off a lot and I had been brought on to the Revelmode crew, as had Mary. I looked at my schedule again.

"You know Felix, it looks like we have most of the same events today. What time did they tell you the meet and greet was officially ending? My schedule says it's from ten to one, which gives us plenty of time to get to the Revelmode event."

Felix blinked. "Yeah, I think you're right. Maybe I should just follow you around today. I never even noticed things were lined up so we could attend both events."

I chuckled. "Well, most of the cast of the show is on Revelmode, so it makes sense. You really should invite Bob, Wade, and Molly to join you know."

Felix grinned, nodding. "I know. I just keep forgetting to mention it. You were a no brainer, being so tightly tied to the show and Jack's and Mark's channels, as well as being friends with so many of us. We should expand our ranks and add the rest of the cast." We were walking while we talked, arriving at the tables set up for us for the meet and greet. All of us settled in the seats lining the tables at the front, getting ready for the first batch of fans to be let in. Before long, we were all shaking hands and hugging fans, getting gifts and taking photos with people. It was tiring, but at the same time, somehow energizing. The hours rolled by quickly and as the last fans left, we all slumped in our seats, tired and happy. 

I turned to the rest of the group. "I'm glad that's done. Now, does anyone want to grab a snack or sandwich or something before we head to the stage for the Revelmode event? And what are we all even doing for that?"

Felix grinned. "We are all playing truth or dare and maybe some FunEmployeed. We got tweets lined up for the questions for Truth or Dare from fans. And PAX was asking people waiting in line for the event to write extras down in case we run short. It should be interesting." I nodded.

Ken stood up. "I'm making a coffee and sandwich run. Anybody else want to come or need me to get them something?"

I smiled at him. "If you would grab me a smoothie, any kind, I would appreciate it. I'm going to head over to the creator's room, drop off the fan made gifts I got, and see if Jack and Mark are there yet. Then I'm just going to relax until it's time to get on stage." Ken nodded, waving my offer to give him money off and he headed out the door. I grabbed the fan made gifts, loading them in bags and hauling them out. I dropped them in the boxes with my name in the backstage room that had been set aside for us and plopped down in a chair, leaning back and closing my eyes for a few minutes, trying to clear my head and get some energy back. Jack and Mark weren't back yet, even though I knew they were scheduled to end the signing at one, so I just waited a few minutes. Most of the group from our meet and greet had followed me in, and they too were sprawled out, trying to recover before the next activity they had to attend or just gather the energy to face the crowds to go look around the convention. Ken came back with the smoothie I asked for, a smoothie for Mary, and sandwiches for several people. We all ate or drank in the silence, just refueling our batteries, comfortable with each other and not needing to talk. Mary came over next to me and cleared her throat, quietly drawing my attention. I looked at her, smiling. "What's up Mary?"

She blushed slightly and leaned over to whisper to me. "Hey, um, I need your help. Tonight on stage, at Felix's panel, I need you and Marzia to call me up." I raised an eyebrow. She grinned. "I want to tell Ken, and our friends and fans some news, and I want to do it in a spectacular way."

I grinned and winked at her. "Can I make a guess, or are you going to make me wait until tonight?" Mary blushed and grinned, shaking her head. I leaned in even closer, making sure no one could hear me or read my face and lips. "Are you and Ken by any chance getting ready to expand your family?"

Mary looked at me, surprised, and nodded. "How did you figure it out?"

I giggled. "First, I saw you hardly ate any breakfast, then I noticed all you wanted to eat was a smoothie, and third you backed out of the panel tonight and I noticed you scheduled yourself lightly. Plus, I noticed you looked a little queasy a few times during the meet and greet." I winked at her. "Congratulations by the way. I take it Ken is clueless?" Mary laughed, nodding. I nodded too, knowing he would be very happy. When several people looked over at us, hearing Mary's laugh, I grinned conspiratorially at her. "We're going to have to get Marzia over her and tell her too. Unless you want to risk Felix overhearing. And don't worry. I can keep my mouth shut. I'm good at keeping secrets." 

Just then Mark and Jack came in, walked over to me and flopped down next to me, startling Mary and I. Jack closed his eyes, leaning on my shoulder. Mark smiled tiredly at me. "Who's got a secret?"

I laughed again. "Well, off the top of my head, I'd have to say, everyone in this room. And I bet I know most of them." 

Mark looked around, catching the eyes of our friends who looked away or blinked in surprise. "You don't know all my secrets babe."

I grinned and leaned over to him, whispering in his ear. "Yes, Mark, I absolutely do. You and Jack can't hide anything from me. I know you too well. Anything you think I don't know, I probably do, or am letting you keep secret because I know it's something you want to surprise me with later. But relax, sweetheart, I'm not going to use it against you, unless you royally screw up." Mark paled a little for a minute, then leaned in and kissed me hard. I winked at him. "I love you too Mark."

He opened his mouth. "How did you know that's what I was going to say?"

I chuckled. "I could read it all over your face." Mark blushed a little and his expression changed. I giggled, whispering "Later for that. And don't test me. You and Jack are easy to read. Now, stop trying to undress me with your eyes, or I might have to say something to the group." Mark blushed brighter. I noticed Mary had slipped away, drawing Marzia into a quiet conversation while the rest of the room was distracted with watching Mark and I or eating the food they had gotten. Mark grinned at me again and laid his head on my shoulder, relaxing. I floofed his hair a little, giving him a gentle kiss on the forehead, before turning and doing the same thing to Jack, who appeared to be napping on my other shoulder. I smiled and wrapped m arms around the two of them, hugging them close and closing my eyes for a minute. 

Felix grinned at us and cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention. "Sorry to break it to you bros, but we need to head to the stage to get miked and ready for the Revelmode event. Wade, Bob, Molly, we'll see you later. Everyone else, let's go." We all nodded tiredly and followed him out. I snagged my smoothie and drank the rest of it as we walked. The cold fruit drink helped revive me and by the time we got to the stage, I was once again bursting with energy. Jack, who had been walking with me, holding my hand on the left side, seemed to have picked up on my energy levels and was bouncing along with me. Mark, who had snagged a cup of coffee, had been walking along next to me on the right, sipping his coffee, one arm around my waist. Jack also had grabbed some coffee before we headed out, but drank it before we left the room, so maybe his energy was from that as well. We waited backstage, listening to the instructions we were all being given, putting on our microphones, and waiting for our names to be announced. Felix and Ken were going to be sitting center stage, on stools, with Marzia and Mary next to them, also on stools. Dodger, Emma Blackery. KickThePJ, Mark, Kwebblekop, Jelly, and I were to be announced next then Jack. Cry, of course, wasn't here, and neither was Slogoman. As we all waited backstage, I peeked out to see the stage setup. We had chairs and two couches lined up beside the four stools in center stage. I grinned, knowing I was likely going to be on the couch next to Mark and Jack. A few minutes before the event actually started, Felix decided I would announce him on stage and be the one to MC the event. I rolled my eyes at him and asked why. "Well, you can usually keep everyone in line, you're super organized, and you have a good sense of timing. You can keep everything moving along." The rest of the group nodded, so I agreed, as long as we made one small change, announcing Jack before me, and having Felix announce me on stage. He agreed immediately and we all lined up in the order we were to be announced, so I was standing behind Jack. He grinned and hugged me, staying close until I had to start announcing everyone.

When it was time, I got the signal in my ear, the curtain rose, and I announced Felix to huge applause. As soon as the audience died down, I announced Ken, then Mary, then Marzia. When I got down the line to Jack, I grinned, squeezing his hand just before I announced him and he crossed the stage, sitting on the far couch beside Mark, leaving just enough room for me to squeeze in when Felix announced me. After a minute, the audience settled back down, allowing Felix to announce me. I grinned, waved, and crossed the stage, settling in beside Mark and Jack, who both hugged me as I sat down, causing a brief microphone squeal. The audience chuckled and I settled in the seat a little more comfortably. Felix grinned at us and gestured for me to make the usual safety announcements, which I did, and start the panel. I turned it back over to him to announce what we were doing for the day's event, listening closely as he explained and grinning when a volunteer ran the cards for the game out, handing them to me with a brief apology. Then we had to decide the order of play. Everyone was tossing ideas around, including me. Finally, I turned to Felix. He grinned and gestured for me to decide. I sighed. "Fine, I'm deciding we are going to go based on when our birthdays are. Not the year, just the day and month. I think I know most of them, but I need Emma's, Jelly's, and Mary's. So, If you want to tell, we can go that way, or we can all go around and say what our birthdays are so the audience knows as well. Which do you all want to do?" Everyone gave there opinions and the decision was made to have each YouTuber announce their own birthdays. I grinned at Mark and Jack, winking at them. Then I turned to the crowd. "Good thing no one else has to announce other people's birthdays. Not everyone here is good at remembering our friends birthdays. Right guys?"

Felix, Ken, Mary, and Marzia laughed. Mark and Jack blushed brightly. The rest of the group looked curiously at me. Felix turned to the rest of the panel, grinning and explained. Mark and Jack had both hidden behind me by the time he finished explaining. I was grinning and patting both of them on the backs. The audience was laughing and cheering. My fellow Revelmode panelists were grinning and laughing, except Mark and Jack, who looked chagrined and were still hiding behind my back. I wasn't laughing either, but I was smiling. I turned to the guys and drew them back up, kissing them gently. "Come on guys. We have a event to get through now."

Jack sighed and straightened back up first. He leaned against my shoulder for a minute, then looked at me. "Love, ye know how sorry we both are for that. Please forgive us."

I smiled at him. "I already have sweetie. I just like teasing you occasionally. I'm really not mad about it anymore." Jack smiled at me, sighing with relief. Mark sat up and smiled at me as well. I turned back to Felix, who was grinning. "Okay. Let's get this game under way. Felix, why don't you go first, announcing your birthday?" We all went around, saying our birthdays. Jack was first, followed by Mary, then Kwebblekop, Mark, and Dodger. Ken and I grinned at each other when we said our birthdays and were next for Truth or Dare, followed by Jelly, Marzia, Felix, Emma and finally KickThePJ. Once we had our game order determined, we settled in for the game. I gave half the cards to Felix to read and kept the other half for myself, splitting the Dares and Truths evenly between us. 

Jack asked for a Dare card. I grinned at him as I read the card out loud. "Well, Jack, since you're brave enough to ask for a Dare, here's what the fans want. Sing a love song to someone on stage with you." The other YouTubers grinned as Jack turned to me and started singing 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love'. I smiled and listened as he sang, enjoying the performance. When he finished, I grabbed his hands and pulled him in for a kiss, keeping it short and sweet. Most of the people on stage and a large portion of the audience 'Aww"ed. 

Felix turned to Mary for her first turn. She chose truth. Her question was if she had a secret crush on anyone, besides her husband, on the panel. Ken grinned at her, leaning forward to hear her answer better. She laughed as she answered no. Felix grinned. "Well, this is boring so far. Hopefully Kwebblekop will liven things up a bit."

Kwebblekop chose Dare. I read his Dare, to kiss someone on stage, and settled back to watch. He looked around, seeming to weigh his options and got up, kissed Emma and ran back to his seat. Mark chose Dare as well. Felix dared him to try to do a backflip. He did try, but failed. I rubbed his back and shoulders when he finally gave up in defeat, groaning as he sat back down next to me. And so it went. When it got to my turn, Felix asked whether I wanted a truth or a dare, and I surprised everyone by taking a dare. Felix grinned until he read the card, then he blushed. "Uh, maybe this isn't the best dare for you." 

I raised an eyebrow. "Come on Felix. Read the dare." 

Felix looked uncomfortable, but read the card. "Kiss four panel members with varying degrees of passion, including the person reading this card." I laughed standing up and walked over to him. I winked at Marzia, who was grinning wolfishly and gave him a friendly kiss on the cheek, drawing audience hoots and cheers. Then I walked over to Mary, kissed her on the forehead, a sisterly gesture, and hugged her. She grinned. I walked back over and sat down, drawing Mark in for a kiss. It was a gentle kiss, full of feeling and love, but short and sweet all the same. He blushed the same color as his hair when I let him go and he looked a little dazed. I grinned and turned to Jack, who looked startled when I lept into his lap and started frenching like there was no tomorrow. After a long moment, I suddenly broke the kiss and sat back down on the couch between the men. Both of them were looking at me, stunned and slightly brain-fried. 

I giggled, turning to the audience. "And that's how a dare should look." The audience roared its approval. We continued the game for quite a while, until we had gone through almost all the dares and a lot of the truths. I finally suggested we switch to FUNemployeed for the rest of the panel and everyone agreed. After we played that for about half an hour, we were informed our time was up, so we waved to the audience and headed off stage, back to the room we had been in earlier. I was bouncing with energy still, but most of our group was dragging their feet, clearly wiped out. When we all got back to the room, I asked the volunteer assigned to assist us, however we needed, to go get us some food. He grinned and ran off. I informed everyone that food was on the way and settled in, snuggling Mark and Jack once more. They both yawned and leaned on me. I grinned at them. 

After a few minutes of cuddles, I pulled out my phone and my schedule, checking the time and for any new messages before looking to see when the next panel started. We had about two hours, so I relaxed and looked over social media while I waited for the food to get back to us. Mark yawned, clearly tired. "Babe, why did you get the schedule out? Aren't we done for the day?"

I smiled, shaking my head. "You and Jack are. I'm on one more panel today, Felix's, in about two hours. Now, just relax and rest Mark. You look wiped out. Did you guys have a rough signing?"

Jack nodded. "Yeah, we had ta turn a bunch of people away, which we all hated doing, and we only had about thirty seconds per person. It sucked." I nodded sympathetically. Suddenly, Jack sat up straight. "Love, didn't ye already have a meet and greet before tha Revelmode event?" I nodded. Jack shook his head. "Lass, please don't over work yerself. Three events in one day is a lot." 

I smiled at him. "Relax sweetie. I'm fine. And tomorrow is a lighter day for me. I'm watching Mark's and your panel, have a short signing, and a panel about LGBTQA+ community issues with several other people, then I'm done for the day. It's going to be a question and answer session, so it should be easy. Then Sunday, all I have is your panel to watch, and a signing. Monday there is a stage takeover event, then I'm done. You and Mark are in the stage takeover as well."

Jack shook his head, kissing my cheek. "That's a lot and ye know it. Did ye say yes ta every panel ye were asked ta be on this year?"

I chuckled. "Nope. I turned down three and an offer of a solo panel. They conflicted with other things I was doing or with one of the events you and Mark were scheduled for. You know I won't miss those unless I'm already booked for something else that I can't get out of, like the meet and greet for the TV show this morning. I know how much I can handle."

Mark leaned over and hugged me. "Yeah, we know you can do a lot, we just don't want you to overdo it." I sighed and nodded, leaning into his side. He grinned at me. "What's wrong babe?"

I shook my head making a face. "I think I'm going to need a few days of quiet when we get home. I just hope I can hold out until then. I'm starting to get cramps." 

Jack made a face and reached over, rubbing my back. "I wondered. Ye know ye always get more cuddly and yer energy levels jump all over tha place. I noticed ye looked exhausted this morning, but ye're bubbling over with energy now. Ye haven't had time ta take a nap either, and ye've been snuggling us a lot. Not that either of us mind, but I was wondering if ye were okay."

I nodded, closing my eyes, and enjoyed the back rub Jack was giving me while I snuggled Mark. I must have fallen asleep because a little while later, I woke up, looked at the time and swore. Mark and Jack, who were relaxing next to me, looked up, startled. "Sorry guys. I didn't mean to fall asleep like that. Jack, that back rub just felt so good, it knocked me right out. And Mark you were so warm..." I yawned and stretched. "I need to get something to drink and head out for the panel. We have to be on stage in twenty minutes. Where are Ken, Marzia, and Felix?" I was looking around the room as I said this. Most of our friends were still here, but Ken, Mary, Felix, and Marzia were all missing. 

Mark grabbed a bottle of cold water for me, handing it over. I drank half of it in one gulp, feeling parched. He grinned, shaking his head, and leaned forward. "Slow down. Felix and Marzia left about forty minutes ago to go get some food. Ken and Mary left a few minutes ago to go wait backstage and have some quiet alone time." I nodded, standing up and stretching. Mark grabbed my hand for a minute. "Hey babe, is Mary okay? She looks kind of pale and nervous."

I smiled at him. "Yeah, I asked her earlier. She doesn't feel great, which is why she backed out of the panel this evening, but she'll be fine. She already saw a doctor about it." Mark nodded. Then he stood up, pulled me into a shadowy corner, and kissed me. I smiled at him, leaning into his shoulder for a minute before I stood up straight and squared my shoulders, getting ready to leave. Mark smiled and sat back down, but Jack immediately came over to steal his own kiss and hug from me before I left. A few minutes later, I finished the bottle of water, told the guys I was leaving now, and headed out the door. I walked about halfway to the area I needed to go before I heard two sets of feet approaching at a near run. I turned to look and smiled when I saw Mark and Jack, running to catch up with me. They grabbed my hands and followed me to the backstage area, where we waited.

Felix and Marzia came in a few steps behind us, smiling at us and nodding. Felix came over to talk. "So, you bros change your minds and decide to join us after all? We have plenty of room and we'd love to have you." MArk and Jack looked at each other and shook their heads.

Jack spoke up first. "Thanks Felix, but I'm tired and just want ta rest. I think Mark feels tha same way. We just want ta watch and we came back here ta wish [Y/N] good luck before we find seats."

Felix nodded, understanding. "Well, I just wanted to double check. Now, excuse me, I think I need to talk to the event coordinator. See you bros later." They nodded at each other and Felix walked away, talking to a young man with a clipboard. Mark and Jack gave me quick hugs and kisses, waved goodbye to Ken, Marzia, Felix, and I, and headed out to find the reserved seats. After they left, Mary stepped over to Marzia and I for a quick reminder and told us the signal, then headed out as well, finding a seat in the front close to the stairs. Marzia and I looked at each other, trying not to giggle, and headed over to join Felix and Ken, who were getting instructions from the coordinator. Felix looked up from the wireless microphone set he had been handed and smiled at us as we approached. "Good. Now everyone is here. Ladies, this is Stewart, the coordinator for our panel. He was just handing out the microphones and telling us he would give the signal to start and end the panel. Now, grab the headsets and let's get ready to go! Anyone have any last minute questions before we get started?"

Marzia grinned. "Yeah. Felix, what's the plan for today? I mean, what are we doing on stage? Are we answering questions from the audience? Playing a game? What?"

Felix smiled at her. "Uh, I forgot to tell you, didn't I?" Marzia and I nodded. Ken crossed his arms waiting. Felix blushed a little, looking down. "We're playing some Cards Against Humanities for a while, then taking audience questions. Is that okay with everyone?" We all nodded. Marzia and I put the headsets on and we got got ready to head out to the seats and table set up in the middle of the stage. There was a backstage announcer who called us on to the stage, one at a time. Felix, of course got huge cheers when he was called first. Ken got a little less, but the crowd was still loud and energetic. Same for Marzia who was announced next. I fully expected the crowd to be more quiet still when I was announced, but the cheers actually increased in volume, I waved, blushed, and grinned my way over to the armchair I was going to sit in. As soon as I got seated, Felix started the panel by yelling at the audience to be quiet and settled down. He read the usual announcements, with Ken and I shuffling decks of cards so we could start as soon as he finished. We decided the order of Card Czar's and started playing. 

It was fun, and no one was being particularly evil, so I looked over at my fellow panelists and decided to kick things up a little. The next black card, read by Ken, was 'What's my secret power?' I looked over my cards and found the perfect one. 'Dark and mysterious forces beyond our control.' I played the card and kept a straight face until the cards were revealed. Someone had played 'Extremely tight pants' and the other person had played 'An ugly face'. I laughed out loud at the choices, as did Felix and Marzia. Ken looked them over and read them for the crowd, shaking his head. "And I thought you were all nice people."

I laughed out loud. "Ken, _HOW_ long have you known us? Now, pick a card and let's get on with the game." The audience chuckled at my comment, as did my fellow panelists. Ken ended up picking my card and honestly looked shocked when he found out I was the one who played it. 

"But..." I looked at him waiting to see what he was going to say. "You just seem so nice." 

Felix grinned at me, winking. "Of course she does. That's how she hides those forces of darkness." He looked out at the audience, looking for Jack and Mark. "Just ask her boyfriends."

I smirked at him. "Let me guess. You played the ugly face card." Marzia started laughing so hard she fell off the couch. Felix pretended to look hurt, but I could see the amusement dancing in his eyes. Ken was laughing, but not as hard as Marzia. When she finally got back under control I grinned at her. "I had thought about playing another card instead, but I'll hold on to it for another time." Felix looked at me for a moment before he reached down for the next black card. 

He read it out loud. "What ended my last relationship?" I chuckled and immediately played my card 'Menstrual rage.' Marzia cracked up when she saw that flipped over. I giggled as well. Felix read out all the answers. "Okay here we go. 'What ended my last relationship?' You bros answered with 'Menstrual Rage', yikes, 'BATMAN!!', and 'Not wearing pants'. I'm going to have to think for a minute." Marzia and I looked at each other, trying to hold back the giggles, but we weren't very successful. Finally Felix pointed to my card. "I have to give it to 'Menstrual rage'. That's just too scary." I laughed again took the card. Felix looked at me. "You really were hiding a dark side."

I smirked again. "Maybe..." I looked down at my cards. "Maybe I'm just really competitive..."

Marzia grinned and selected the next black card. "The card is 'What will always get you laid?' Ooh, come up with a good one guys. I want to see what you think works." When the cards were revealed, someone had played 'Exactly what you'd expect', 'AXE body spray', and my card, 'Taking off your shirt'. Marzia read them out loud, listening to the audience reactions. My card won again and Ken and Felix both blushed, looking down to Jack and Mark, who were also blushing,

I cackled. "Hey, that one was just am honest answer! Now, let's see if you three can amuse me. Your card is '________. Kid Tested. Mother approved.' What'cha got for me?" Three cards were slid over to me. I flipped them over. "Okay, so you played 'Adderall', 'Puppies!', and 'The pirate's life'. I have to give it to the pirate one." I shook my head. "Those were kind of lame guys." We kept playing, and I got more and more bold and outrageous. Finally Felix ended the game. We were all slightly out of breath from laughing, especially after Marzia started to get as evil as I was being. Felix called for questions from the audience, asking the volunteers with the microphones to find people to get questions from. I looked at Mary and she nodded. I winked at her and turned to Marzia. "We should get a few other people up here. I think it would be more fun. Mary? Jack? Mark? Can you three come up and join us on stage, please?" The spotlight hit them, making them blink for a minute, but they climbed up the stairs and joined us, Mary sitting on Ken's lap and Mark and Jack taking my overlarge armchair and pulling me down into their laps. I turned around and gave them both a quick kiss. "Thanks guys." They nodded, smiling at me. 

Ken grinned at us as he hugged Mary. "Hey, thanks for joining me." Mary grinned, hugging him closer and kissing him. Marzia and I grinned at her. Marzia leaned into Felix as well.

Before Felix could ask the crowd for the first question, Mary turned to Ken. He looked at her, happy. She leaned in close, speaking in a way the microphone could pick up. "I have something to tell you, Ken." He blinked at her. "We're going to have a baby, sweetheart!" Ken looked stunned, then grinned hugely as he hugged her tighter than ever. She squeaked a little. The crowd was cheering. 

Felix looked and Marzia and I, suspiciously. "Marzia, did you know about this ahead?" 

She grinned at Felix, nodding. "Mary told me earlier. [Y/N] too. We were supposed to make sure she was brought up on stage so she could tell Ken in front of everybody." Ken was oblivious to the conversation right now, just holding Mary, kissing her sweetly, and trying to wrap his head around the news. I kept smiling at them, thinking how sweet his reaction was. 

After the commotion died down a little, Felix looked at the crowd. "Well, bros, I guess we can take some questions from you now. Who's first?"

We all answered questions for about half an hour, trying to get to as many as we could. And of course we had the usual proposals in the crowd. Overall the panel went really well, but when time was called, we were all more than ready to be done. The curtain came down in front of us and I curled up in Mark's and Jack's laps, too wiped out to move for a minute. They both wrapped an arm around me, leaned forward, and kissed me gently. Mark helped me take off the microphone, turning it off as soon as he could. Then he whispered to me, "Babe? Are you okay?" I sat up a little yawning and nodded.

Jack looked at me and rubbed my back. "Come on, love. We best get ye ta a bed. Ye seem exhausted. And ye haven't eaten anything since breakfast, have ye?"

I shook my head. "I had a smoothie at lunchtime, but it's long since worn off. Let me go turn in the headset here, then you guys can take me back to our room." I yawned again, feeling the weariness settling in my bones, making me groan a little. "And thanks for coming up on stage. Mary wanted to surprise Ken, with her announcement, and bringing you two up as well was the only way I could think of to include her without making Ken and Felix suspicious. Plus, I got to snuggle with you during the question session, which is always good."

They both smiled at me and Jack took the headset from me gently, walking it over to the waiting sound person before coming back over and wrapping me up in a hug. Mark smiled again, took me by the hand, and lead me back to the room with all our friends. There they gathered up our things. Felix, Marzia, Ken, and I were all almost swaying with exhaustion, so we all said our goodbyes, which Mark and Jack joined in on, leading me out to the waiting car they had called when they saw how tired I was. Felix and Marzia asked if they could ride back with us, which we readily agreed to. When we got back to the hotel, we separated, going back to our rooms. Mark and Jack ordered some room service food for us while I grabbed some clean clothes and took a fast shower. The shower helped perk me up, but I knew it was going to be a temporary thing, so I got into pajamas and climbed into bed, curling up in a ball to help me cope with my cramps, which had gotten a lot worse when I showered. Jack noticed my position on the bed right away and came over to see what he could do to help. I couldn't think of anything, so he just cuddled next to me, keeping me warm on one side, and turned on a movie. Mark came over and snuggled into my other side, making me feel wrapped in love and warmth. I fell asleep before the food even arrived. Jack got up and brought it in, waking me up to eat when it got there. We ate in comfortable silence, and as soon as I finished, I moved back to the bed, curling up slightly until Jack and Mark rejoined me, having finished eating and changed into pajama pants. I fell back asleep almost as soon as they curled up with me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. Sorry this took so long to get out. I promise, I will do better with the next update. So this was an extra long chapter!


	4. PAX West Adventures, Day 2, Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something unexpected happens at PAX

I woke up early on the second day of PAX, jumped out of bed, being careful not to disturb Jack and Mark, and took a long hot shower. I was feeling perky, rested, and full of energy, even if I was having cramps. When I got out of the shower, I got dressed for the day and grabbed my laptop, booting it up to browse social media while I waited for the guys to wake up. I was surprised to see it was only six am, having felt like I slept for a lot longer, and loaded Tumblr. I smiled as I saw post after post of fan art from the Revelmode panel of me kissing Felix, Mark, Jack, and even Mary. Some of the fans had made other art from the panels as well of course, and there were a number of posts of me trying to help Mark feel better after his failed backflip attempts. I also saw a few candid photos of Jack, Mark, and I cuddling onstage, kissing, or laughing. I reposted my favorites and thanked everyone for the wonderful pictures, stopped to answer some user submitted questions, and then moved on to Twitter. My feed was as busy as ever, with fans clamoring over the story about the guys not remembering my birthday, the announcement of Mary and Ken having a baby, and the onstage kisses being spread and mentioned most. I also had a lot of fans asking me about the girls and wondering where they were. I smiled and answered some of the tweets, explaining I was thrilled for Ken and Mary, flattered to be asked to assist in announcing their news, and was sure they would be wonderful parents, having seen how they interacted with our girls. I added my own congratulatory tweets to their feeds and moved on, answering the fans about the girls. I explained that the girls were being watched by some of their grandmothers and they were doing well, except for the cold they had gotten before we left. I then voiced my feelings about being torn between wanting to stay and take care of them and wanting to come to the panel and meet everyone. I chuckled as some of my followers immediately tweeted back responses, wishing the girls a speedy recovery, sympathy for me and the guys, and started the hashtag #GrandmaSquad much to my amusement. By now, it was about quarter to seven, and I was still the only one awake. I didn't feel like doing anything else online, so I put my laptop back to sleep, setting it on the coffee table in front of me, and pulled my knees into my chest, resting my head on them as I turned to look at Jack and Mark, still peacefully sleeping just a few feet away from the couch I was sitting on. I wrapped my arms around my knees and just sat thinking like this for a while, trying to decide what I needed to do when we got back from the convention. Before long, I saw the guys showing signs of waking up, but I didn't move. I had managed to find a position, sitting like this, that helped relieve the cramps and wasn't too uncomfortable. It also helped my back, which was sore from my upcoming period as well. I hoped that today I would be able to keep my emotions in check and not be too grumpy or mean. Sometimes I had really bad PMS, but other months I was fine. We were just going to have to see what the day brought, I decided. 

Jack was the next person to wake up, and as he opened sleepy eyes, he immediately looked around for me, feeling I wasn't in the bed anymore. He stretched as he got up, and smiled at me as soon as he saw me. "Mornin' love. Did ye sleep okay?" I nodded, not moving other than that, enjoying the view of my two boyfriends, sprawled out on the bed, comfortable. Jack yawned and looked at the clock. "Lass, why are ye up so early and dressed? I know we're all busy today, and ye were completely exhausted yesterday. Are ye alright?"

I sighed. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just had bad cramps and my back hurt when I woke up. Sitting like this is helping, at least with the cramps and it doesn't hurt my back. I woke up early and took a long shower before I went online and looked at social media." I smiled a little. "I got a lot of fan art from the panels yesterday and quite a few people were asking about the girls. I spent a while answering things online before I shut the computer back off because the cramps were getting worse. That was only a little while ago. Since then, I've just been relaxing and watching you and Mark sleep, thinking about the con, and planning what I need to do when we get home. You know, the usual."

Jack nodded, getting out of bed with a groan, and coming over to me. He sat down beside me, pulling me in for a snuggle session. "I'm sorry ye don't feel well, [y/n]. I know ye like ta be at yer best for tha fans, but at least this isn't all that bad, right? We've faced a lot worse in tha past. Now, ye look cold over here all by yerself, so we're just going ta sit here and snuggle for a while. Do ye want me ta turn on tha TV?"

I grinned at him. "Nope. And I'm okay, sweetie. I was just hoping to keep the raging bitch from unleashing on the crowds and our friends today. But I'll never turn down snuggled from you or Mark." I shifted slightly, so I was leaning into Jack more and unwrapped my arms from my knees, drawing Jack into a hug. He grinned and kissed me, lifting me into his lap. I rested my head on his shoulder and let my legs relax down, opting for better cuddles instead of curling onto a ball to deal with the cramps. Jack's smile got even bigger. He grabbed a blanket and wrapped us both up in it and rested his chin on my shoulder. He closed his eyes again.

"That's better. I missed having ye next ta me when I woke up. I love Mark too, don't get me wrong, but ye are far softer and more cuddly ta wake up ta in tha morning."

I heard a whine from the bed and we both turned our heads to look over at the bed. Mark was awake now and watching us. He had a pout on his face as he sat up. "Why did you leave me all alone, if you love me as much as you said Jack? And babe, why did you get up and get dressed already?"

I grinned at Jack, winking. "Sweetheart, Jack asked me the same thing. I woke up early and took a shower to deal with the cramps, which are pretty bad. And you two were both still asleep when I came back so I went online for almost an hour before Jack woke up and joined me over here. Now, stop whining and come cuddle us, over here, if you want snuggles." I leaned into Jack again kissing his cheek. 

Jack grinned at me. "Sorry Mark, but she's right. I got up ta cuddle with her when I could tell she wasn't felling well. I think she got up so she wouldn't wake us up if she had ta try ta find a comfortable position all curled up. That's how she was sitting on tha couch a few minutes ago." I nodded,and reached down, rubbing my lower back and shifting positions slightly. Jack noticed right away, of course and kissed my shoulder, moving my hands so he could rub the lower back muscles better. "Easy love. I got ye. Now, Markimoo, do ye want ta stay on bed alone and sleep a bit longer, or do ye want ta snuggle with us and maybe try ta make our sweet lass feel a bit better? She seems ta be having a bit of back trouble as well as tha cramps." 

Mark didn't answer. Instead, he immediately got out of the bed and came over, lifting me out of Jack's lap. He sat down on the couch, settling me so I was seated between them, half in each of their laps. They both leaned into me and Mark started massaging my back while Jack worked on my shoulders and neck for a little while before switching to a abdominal massage that helped a surprising amount to stop the cramps. I moaned and sighed with pleasure as they helped me feel a lot better, trying to keep my voice down, knowing and not caring that I sounded like we were doing some very sexual things. After forty five minutes of massage, I slumped back slightly, relaxed beyond belief. "Thanks guys. I feel a lot better. You can both stop now." I looked at my cell phone for the time and grinned at them. "You might want to get a shower and get dressed though. We need to grab some food and head over to the con. I know you need to meet with Bob and Wade to go over what you're doing for the panel today, unless you already got everything arranged?" The two men shook their heads, smiling at me, and started to get up. Mark held on to me as he stood up, bringing me with him, kissing me gently as he did so. 

"Thanks for watching out for us babe. Now, are you going to join us for this shower, or are we on our own?"

I gave him a shrewd look. "You and Jack go have fun. I'm not really feeling up for sex right now. And thank you for the massage. I'm just going to sit here, read, and maybe listen to you." Mark grinned and kissed me, setting me back on the couch with a quick hug.

Mark blushed slightly as my words sank in. "Thanks baby." 

Jack grinned, came over and kissed me as well, and grabbed some clean clothes from the luggage. Mark grabbed some clean clothes as well, and the bag I always packed of condoms, lube, and a few other supplies, heading for the bathroom. I sighed, settling back into the couch cushions, a silly smile playing on my lips. They were the most sexy, adorable, men I had ever met and they were all mine, I thought to myself as I reached over to my backpack and pulled out my e reader, opening the book I had started the other day. I read, the smile never leaving my face as listened to the sounds of the two men showering close by and the sounds of them having a really good time, from what it sounded like. My abdomen ached and throbbed, making me glad they could have some fun even though I definitely didn't feel like I was up to joining in right now. As soon as I heard the water shut off, I shut down my e-reader and put it back in my bag. When Jack and Mark emerged, I looked at them, smiling. They looked energized and relaxed, making me happy. Even when I didn't feel great, it always cheered me up to see them happy and relaxed.

Jack came over and sat next to me, pulling on socks and shoes. I leaned into his side, just a happy, friendly, I-love-you gesture, and pulled on my flats as well. Mark was putting the bag of supplies away for later and straightening up the room a bit, smiling at the two of us. He joined us a minute or two later, putting on his own shoes and socks. When the men were finished, they stood up, gathered what they needed for the day, and walked over to the door, where I had gone already, after I had gather my own things and grabbed the room key and our badges for the convention. We headed down for breakfast in the hotel restaurant, smiling when we saw most of our friends already there. They motioned us over, making room for the the three of us. I sat next to Marzia, Felix, and Ken. Jack was on my other side, between Mark and I, with Arin, Suzy, and Danny on Mark's other side. We were all squeezed in pretty tight, but not uncomfortably so, and discussion was lively around the table. By the time we had all finished eating, we were all laughing and having a wonderful time. I snuggled into Jack's side a little closer, brushing my hands through Mark's hair. They both looked over at me and grinned. Jack wrapped both his arms around me and hugged me. Felix looked at the three of us and groaned. "It's too early for you bros to start being so lovely-dovey. If that's all you want to do, go back to your room and spend some time alone together."

Marzia tried to shush him, but I turned to him with a grin, taking my hands out of Mark's hair for the moment. "Man, Felix, who pooped in your punch this morning?" Marzia bit back a laugh as Felix made a face at me. "Sorry we were being affectionate. Now I feel bad for poor Marzia. She has to deal with a cranky Swedish man-child who hates all affection. Yikes." Marzia completely lost her cool and started laughing so hard she had to put her head down on the table to get some control back.

Jack chuckled beside me. Felix was glaring at me. I ignored him, looking around the table at everyone else. Jack leaned forward slightly and kissed me, on the neck, whispering in my ear as he did so. "Easy love. I know he's being a grouch, but remember, he is our friend and ye aren't yer usual calm self. Ye might accidentally be a bit more sharp than ye mean ta. Ye haven't been yet, but I don't want ta see ye upset yerself, or hurt Felix." 

I blushed a little and nodded, trying to settle back down. Felix looked at me again, frowning. After a long moment, I had had enough. "Felix, I know why I'm grumpy and bitchy today. What's your excuse?" Marzia snorted a laugh again. 

Felix blushed a little. "Uh... Wait. Why are you...?" Marzia leaned over to him, whispering. I bit back a chuckle as his eyes widened and he looked at me again. "Um, I surrender. I'm sorry I'm in a mood. I think all the Tumblr comments about the two of us just got me. Have you seen the shippers? They added me to the list of people to ship with you."

I giggled, then winced as my cramps suddenly got worse. After a few seconds, I leaned into Jack, trying to get them back under control. He held on to me, one armed, kissing my hair, making soothing sounds. Dan, Arin, Ken, and Felix all looked concerned for a few minutes, but Mark just reached over, rubbing my shoulder, comfortingly. After a minute or two, I was back under control. "Sorry. Bad cramps today." I turned back to Felix. "Yes, I saw some of it, and honestly, it was kind of sweet. At least what I've seen so far. Why? Did they send you over the top art?"

Felix blushed. "Um, not exactly. The art was fine. It was some of the fan fictions that were a bit... ...much."

I laughed. "Then don't read them, silly. Man, you should see some of the stuff they write about Mark and Jack. Or all three of us. Some of it is really, uh, inventive. It can be a fun way to spend a weekend together, with just the three of us alone."

Felix raised an eyebrow at me. I grinned. Jack blushed, ducking behind me and whispered to me "Ye didn't need ta tell him that!" Suddenly Felix laughed. 

"Oh, you are so busted Jack! You and Mark actually read the fan fics, don't you?"

Mark was blushing now too. I shook my head. "No, but I do. I just read some of them to them." I looked at both of them and winked. Then I turned back to Felix. "You know I help with their channels and social media, and that's part of it. Hell, I've said more than once, riding herd over the three channels has helped me keep up with keeping the girls on track. There are a lot of similarities between the comments sections, social media, and toddlers." I chuckled. "You'll see soon enough." And evil thought passed through my head, and I tried to fight it back, but failed. I found myself saying, "And you can't turn the toddler section off..." Felix blushed and winced a little. Jack put a hand on my knee, warning me not to say anything else. I looked over at Felix. "Sorry. Run away mouth."

Marzia was still grinning. "No, you're right. Felix needed to hear it. I still think it's amazing that you do all you do and stay as connected with the fans and communities as you do."

Ken nodded. "Yeah, I heard a bunch of the people talking about that yesterday. Somebody was saying they were going to have to post on Mark's channel and yours, but their friend told them it would just be double posting. You were going to see it if it went on Mark's channel anyway, and pretty likely to respond, if it needed a response. It kinda surprised me that the fans have noticed."

I blinked. It was true, I answered comments on all three of our channels, monitored the fans, and interacted as much as I could, but I never thought the fans would notice. I turned to Mark. He was smiling at me. I glanced at Jack as well, who was nodding. "I'm surprised the fans noticed too, to be honest."

Mark chuckled. "I'm not. You do a lot of responding, more than Jack and I can manage, most of the time, especially me. And you keep on top of whose causing issues or drama in the communities, making sure things don't get out of hand. "

Jack added a comment as well. "Yeah, between tha two of us, we manage ta stay on top of my comments section so well it often surprises tha fans. And ye help me with that a lot."

I smiled at the men. "But, isn't that part of my job? To help you?"

They both grinned and shook their heads. "Not really, love. Ye just took it on yerself and we never stopped ye. Honestly, it helped us too much ta try ta end it. And ye seem ta like it. I know tha fans do." I blushed slightly. Jack grabbed my hand. "Now, what are ye going ta do while Mark, Bob, Wade, and I are prepping for tha panel? Are ye going back up ta tha room, going ta the talent room, or are ye going ta brave tha convention halls?"

I grinned. "Oh, I'll probably check out some of the other stuff at the con before I head in to watch your panel. Now, you guys better get going. The panel will be starting before you know it. Bye Jack. Bye Mark." We had just paid the bill and everyone was getting ready to leave. Jack and Mark had already turned to leave. They both turned back to me and leaned in, kissing me quickly before they dashed out, following Bob and Wade, who were walking across the lobby. As soon as they were out of sight, I sighed, grabbed my purse, and headed for the con. I spent a few hours looking over the various booths, gaming setups, and going over the panels that were being offered this year, the ones that didn't conflict with the events Jack, Mark and I were involved in, and deciding what if any I was going to attend. The Grumps panel and the Starbomb concert were obvious choices that all three of us would be going to, but I was hoping to find time to squeeze in going to a panel by myself, if I could find something I want to attend, but nothing was jumping out at me. I finally gave up, tossing aside the event program listing with more force than I meant, startling Molly, who was sitting next to me at the table.

She grinned at me. "So, you okay? You seem kind of out of sorts this morning."

I blushed a little. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just PMS. And you can call it like it is. I'm bitchy. I'm kind of stressed too. I think maybe the guys and I are overextending ourselves, but I have no idea how to make them slow down a little, let alone slow myself down. And the girls were sick when we left. And universities, colleges, and high schools are still constantly in contact with me to come speak about poly relationships. It's just getting to me today. Stupid hormones." I put my head down on the table, letting it fall with a thunk. 

Molly chuckled and patted my shoulder. "About damn time. We were wondering if you were ever going to notice you needed to slow down a little. And sure, a con is not the best place to have this revelation, but at least you finally noticed. Now, what are you going to do about it?"

I didn't lift my head. "Nothing right now, except lay here and whine. I'll talk to Jack and Mark later to see what they think. Maybe we can figure something out together." A wave of cramps hit me, making me curl my legs up and a groan escape me. "I just feel like shit today. At least I can just sit and watch the guys panel quietly in a little while. These cramps are miserable." Molly patted my shoulder and walked away, letting me deal with my pain on my own, however I saw fit. I grabbed my bag, digging around until I found the bottle of pain relievers I always kept in the bottom and opened it, taking a dose with some water. Then I laid down on the bench along the wall with my knees tucked up tight to my chest, waiting for them to work or it to be time to leave for the panel. Time marched slowly on. By the time it was time to leave, I was uncurled enough to be able to stand and walk, but I still felt pretty terrible. I swallowed the pain down, however, and followed Molly and Mandy to the auditorium where the panel was being held, and to our seats in the front row. We settled in quietly, avoiding the crowds and being spotted as best we could, with the help of the convention staff and security. Before long, the panel was under way. It was great, with plenty of stupid jokes, audience interaction, and more than a few references to Septiplier, revving the crowd up. When it came time for the audience questions, one of the fans looked at Mark and point blank asked if Septiplier was true. He blushed, as did Jack, drawing hoots and cheers form the crowd. 

Wade stepped in before either of them could answer. "Well, I think instead of asking them, which seems just embarrassing all around, you should be asking the one other person involved in their love life. The girlfriend they share. She'd probably answer, just to embarrass them, if nothing else." I glared at him, meaningfully, as he stepped back and the audience, almost as a single person turned to the front row where we were sitting. 

Bob grinned, winking at Mandy. 'Uh, Wade, watch out. I think you annoyed her. Now she's going to have to schedule you for every far flung convention that calls. And she might even make a few up." The audience laughed, but I was still looking sour. Jack suddenly hopped off the stage and ran over, hugging me. The audience, at least those who could see what was going on, all made 'Awww' sounds. I kissed him and he held my hand for a minute before climbing back up on stage. 

Mark turned to him with a grin. "Way to make me look bad. Babe, why don't you, Mandy, and Molly all join us up here for the rest of the panel. That way we can all sit with our special ladies." I looked at Mandy and Molly who nodded and they started climbing the steps immediately. I sighed and joined the group on the stage, sitting on the loveseat, between Mark and Jack, who both scooted in as close as they could and wrapped arms around me before taking the next audience question. I stayed quiet as the the panel continued, as did Mandy and Molly, just offering our support and love, but not taking any of the attention on ourselves. Or at least I tried. When my cramps got bad again, I leaned into Mark's back, ducking my head out of sight and making a face that I hoped no one could see. Apparently, I was wrong and immediately the Twitter questions and a number of the audience asked questions about what was wrong. I just shook my head, waving them away. Jack rubbed my back a little, telling the crowd I wasn't feeling great today. Mark added his own two cents. "Yeah, poor [y/n]. The girls got sick right before we left and she almost cancelled, but she felt like she would be letting too many people down, so she came anyway and now she's feeling under the weather. And don't worry, the girls are fine, they just had sore throats, a cough, and a slight fever, but they were already on the mend when we left. When we called to check, three of them were completely over it and the fourth was feeling a lot better. She just had a sore throat still, and that was yesterday." That seemed to satisfy the audience, and the guys were able to wrap the panel up without incident. After the lights went down, I grimaced and leaned into Jack. 

He looked at me closer. "Love this seems worse then yer usual cramps. Are ye sure yer okay? Maybe ye should go ta tha doctor."

I bit my lip. "I'll think about it Jack. For now, let's just get out of here." He nodded, helping me up. He and Mark both had to help me stand when the pain washed over me a few times on the way back to the secure room. As soon as we were back, I curled into a tight ball on the bench, laying down, and refused to move. They came over and sat with me, looking very worried. "I think I'm going to need to call out of the signing, I just am not up to it right now. I hate to do that though." 

Mark looked at me, concern clear on his face. "Baby, no one is going to be mad about this. You are clearly not feeling well. Do you want me to go talk to someone?" I nodded, fighting back tears. "Are you going to try to do the panel this evening anyway? Or should I tell them you aren't feeling well enough for that either? I think you should go back to the hotel and lie down, if you won't go see a doctor. This isn't normal, even for you. Come on, sweetheart, let Jack take you back to the hotel, please?"

I groaned and nodded, agreeing to go back to the hotel with Jack for a while, before I tried to sit up. The change in position made me cry out in pain and fall back. Both men were at my side like a shot. "Love, ye're going ta see a doctor. Right fucking now. No argument. This isn't normal. Ye can't even sit up without extreme pain." Jack looked at Mark, worried. Mark gripped his shoulder, giving it a squeeze before he wordlessly headed out of the room at a near run. I lay there whimpering until the pain passed a little bit. Meanwhile, all our friends were watching, looking every bit as worried as Jack and Mark. Mark came back in a few minutes later, rolling a wheelchair the convention staff had found. Jack grinned when I saw it and made a face. "Love, if ye can't walk, either we're going ta have ta carry ye out, or roll ye out in the chair. I know ye'd probably rather never see another wheelchair in yer life, after all tha time ye spent in one waiting for tha girls ta get here, but ye really don't have a lot of choices here."

I swallowed back a bitter comment, made a face and nodded slightly, letting both men help me up into a sitting position. I was silently crying, biting my lip so hard it was bleeding, all without realizing, trying to manage the sudden, overwhelming pain I was experiencing. What on earth was wrong with me now? I was alright when Mark lifted me up, but when he set me in the wheelchair, being very, very gentle, I screamed in pain and passed out.

________________________________

The next thing I knew, I was riding in the back of an ambulance, Jack holding one hand, Mark stroking my hair, my head resting in his lap. I whimpered slightly as the vehicle hit a pothole, but mostly I stayed still, scared, and in a lot of pain. Jack noticed I had opened my eyes first. He gave me a tight smile and leaned forward to kiss me. "Love, ye passed out from tha pain, the paramedics think. Don't move. They had ta strap ye down ta examine ye, and left tha straps on for tha ride. We're on tha way ta tha hospital now. As of right now, all three of us are done with PAX for this year, at least until we find out why ye're in so much pain. Now, just relax. Mark and I have ye." I swallowed back tears and nodded, trying to smile at him. He kissed my forehead and sat back up, a faint smile playing across his face. "Ye're so strong and brave, I can't believe it. Ye really should have told Mark or I about this. Do ye know ye have a fever as well?"

I blinked, shaking my head. Mark leaned over, kissing my forehead as well. "Babe. You're sick. You should have told us as soon as you knew." Tears were threatening in the corners of his eyes, but he was clearly trying to put on a brave face for me. "We love you too much to have let you hurt yourself by coming to the convention like you did. Now, close your eyes, please. We're almost to the hospital and the paramedics called ahead that they were bringing you in, but you're supposed to rest. They've been great about letting Jack and I stay with you so far, and we are going to fight tooth and nail to stay with you for as much of this as we can, but it would help if you are calm and can tell the doctors you want us with you."

"Thanks guys. I'm so sorry about this. I thought, after my heart was fixed we were done with medical issues." Tears were silently rolling down my face again. Jack leaned forward and wiped them away, gently, with a tissue he had been holding. 

"Love, this isn't yer fault. And we love ye so, so much, it's just hard ta watch ye be sick and not be able ta help. Now, please rest, for me?" I sniffled a little, nodding, and closed my eyes, forcing my body to relax as much as it could. Mark started stroking my hair again, soothing me as best he could. Jack just held my hand as we continued in silence the rest of the way to the hospital.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so here's another chapter. Sorry for the erratic updates of late, but they are probably going to continue, at least for a while. My health has had a few set backs, and I'm pretty busy right now, but I will write as often as I can find the time, or at LEAST once a week. Now, that being said, I have a lot of fictions started, so probably I will rotate what gets updated. I am hoping to update all my stories at least every few weeks though. Again, sorry for the slow down, but I need to step back a little for a bit. 
> 
> Also, I may have done some art for this story... Which I am tempted to post on Tumblr on my account if anyone is interested in seeing it. It may take a little time to get up though, if I even do post it. And thank you all for the continued support, love, and well wishes.
> 
> 'Til next chapter! *MWAH* Smoochies!


	5. Hospital News

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What the hell is going on this time?

When the ambulance pulled in, a team of medical staff rushed out and brought me in to the emergency room of the University of Washington Medical Center, the closest hospital to the convention hall, and a well known, and respected facility. Jack and Mark stayed with me, helping to keep me calm as I was examined. When the doctors questioned me, they helped me answer, especially questions about my medical history and our family. Mark was given paperwork to fill out and he sat down next to my bed after I had been assessed and tests had been ordered. Jack stayed by my side and just kept holding my hand, occasionally giving it a reassuring squeeze. After a little while, a younger doctor came over to look me over from Obstetrics and Gynecology. As she prepared to perform a pelvic exam, she asked if both men would mind waiting outside. I stopped her. "No, please let them stay. Unless there is a medical reason to send them out, I mean. They are my boyfriends, the fathers of my children, and help keep me steady. They need to know what's going on anyway." She smiled slightly and nodded, then started the exam. She questioned me closely and I answered everything as best as I could. No, I didn't think I could have been pregnant. I didn't remember the exact date of my last period, but it was almost time, I knew. I was prone to bad cramps, but this was a whole different level of pain than anything I had experienced before. She nodded, writing everything down and then gently palpated my abdomen, looking for anything out of place or particularly painful. When she hit one spot, I gasped as my vision greyed out. Jack grabbed my shoulders as I thrashed away and held a bucket up to me when I threw up a moment later. I apologized to both Jack and the doctor, but she waved it away, and Jack just shook his head at me. The doctor waited a few minutes to let me settle back down and the pain to subside a little before she resumed the exam, avoiding the tender spot, and checking the rest of my abdomen. She found another extremely painful spot again and I passed out this time.

I woke back up to find myself in a hospital room, an IV dripping away in my arm, my pain levels much more manageable, and Jack and Mark sitting on the edges of the bed, cuddled close to me, watching TV (and me, out of the corners of their eyes). As soon as they noticed my eyes were open, they relaxed slightly and pushed the nurse call button on the remote above my head. The doctor and a nurse came right in a moment later. It was the same doctor who had been examining me when I passed out. She smiled at me. "Well, glad to see you're back among us now, [y/n]. Your boyfriends were very helpful in getting you settled in the room and filling in the blanks for us. We had to administer a muscle relaxant for your back, and it kept you knocked out for a while. We also went ahead and admitted you. We need to run a few more tests, and are waiting on the results of the blood tests to confirm a few things, but we have narrowed what this could be down to a few things. First, based on your history, we suspect it could be an extra-uterine pregnancy. We can run an ultrasound to confirm. That's the next step regardless. It could be a ovarian cyst that has ruptured. Those are extremely painful and can happen without warning. The ultrasound will help us identify if that's the problem as well. And third is the possibility you are having a miscarriage, and again the ultrasound will confirm this. However, based on your history and what you and your boyfriends have told me, that seems a lot less likely. The fever you have could also be form any one of these possibilities, or you could have a mild flu or cold. Any questions so far?"

I nodded. "Yeah, um, how long am I going to have to stay in the hospital?" 

The doctor smiled, reassuringly. "Well, that depends on what the problem actually is. Most likely, only a few hours to overnight, but it could be longer. We'll try to get you out of here as soon as we can. Now, are you ready to have this ultrasound done? We have a high powered machine that we're going to use, since we need a clear image of what's going on, so we have to take you to another room. You men can come if you want, or stay here and wait, depending on what you want and your girlfriend here wants."

Jack leaned over to me, looking me in the face. "Do ye mind if I come with ye, love?"

I smiled, leaned forward and kissed him gently, and answered. "Of course not, Jack. You and Mark can both come along if you want to." Both men looked relieved and nodded to the doctor. 

She nodded at them and gestured for them to get down off the bed. "Now, let's get this diagnosis underway, shall we? Gentlemen, follow me. Nurse, please help me keep the hallways and elevator clear. Thank you." The doctor pushed my bed out the door, down the hall, and to an elevator, following the nurse and leading the guys. I stayed very quiet, thinking. Could I be pregnant again, or have been pregnant and not realized it? I mean, Jack, Mark, and I had sex whenever we could manage to get the alone time and we were feeling well enough, so there was no question of that being the issue, but we were so careful about using condoms, and I was on the pill, so it seemed unlikely. We had talked about having more kids, when the girls were older, several times, as long as we were all healthy enough, and I had actually been thinking about talking to the guys and seeing if we could move the timeline up a little, from what we had decided before, when the girls were about five or so, to something a little sooner, but not this soon, and not this way. My heart was beating hard in my chest and I felt squeezed at the very thought of losing a baby, but I was a realist too and knew that was certainly a possibility. Could we handle it?

Mark looked at me as we rode in the elevator, worry all over his face. I was afraid he would have the most trouble dealing with the possibility of losing a baby, to be honest. He was so in love with the girls, from the very moment he realized they might be there. Jack had been too. Both men adored our daughters. But Mark stayed strong while we dealt with a crisis, then brooded or crumpled to us, his family or friends, after. In this case, everything would be the after, so he might just immediately fall apart. Jack would have trouble as well, I knew. Both men were so caring, so sweet, and so loving. Mark broke me out of my mental rambling with a squeezed on the shoulder. "Babe? What are you thinking? You look worried."

I sighed. "I'm scared Mark. I don't want to see you and Jack have to go through anything else. This isn't going to be easy, for either of you, no matter what this is, and I was just feeling bad for dragging you into this again."

Jack shook his head. "Lass, ye need ta stop beating yerself up. Ye have no control over some things, and if ye have a medical issue, it's definitely beyond yer control. We all know that. And don't worry about Mark and I. We have plenty of people we can rely on if we need ta. Ye are one of them." 

The doctor smiled, listening to us, as we rode the elevator and followed her down the halls of the hospital. "It's so good to hear a patient with a good support system in place. You three clearly care deeply about each other and help each other cope with stress. That's really good."

I blushed slightly and looked at Mark and Jack. They were smiling, first at me, then each other. Jack came over and sat on the edge of the bed as soon as we got to the new exam room, making sure the doctor was okay with it first. As soon as she nodded, Jack climbed up next to me, wrapping his arms around my shoulders, hugging me close, being careful not to dislodge the IV I was on or any of the wires that were monitoring me. I closed my eyes and leaned into him. "I love you sweetheart. Thanks for being here." I opened my eyes and looked at Mark. "You too Mark." 

Mark grinned and came over to my side, grabbing my hand and holding it tight. Jack continued to hold me as the doctor got the machine ready and started the ultrasound. I inhaled deeply, fighting the pain as she got to the first of the tender areas. "Well, let's see what's going on here shall we? Hmm." The doctor went quiet as she looked at the screen, moving the wand slightly to get a better view several times. I watched her face, waiting, almost afraid to breathe. What did she see? Mark and Jack were just as intently staring at me. Finally the doctor looked up. "Well, this is a little hard to read, and a little strange, so I think I better call in a few other doctors to consult with, as long as you don't mind. If this is what I think it is, you're going to be just fine, but I don't want to say anything just yet in case I'm wrong." I bit my lip again and nodded. Jack leaned in closer to cuddle me while we waited. I smiled at him, before leaning up and kissing him. He grinned and leaned forward just enough more to rest his forehead on mine, a loving gesture. Then he reached up and booped the end of my nose gently, with one finger. 

Mark squeezed my hand comfortingly as well, watching us interact. "Thank god it doesn't seem to be anything serious. I still want to know what the hell caused you so much pain you passed out twice and threw up, but at least it seems to have lessened and the doctor isn't worried." 

I leaned my head back on the pillows, not answering. Truth be told, the pain medicine was wearing off, and the waves of agonizing pain were fighting their way back into my mind, making it hard to concentrate, but I didn't want either man to know. I was tough, it was time to prove it. When the doctor came back, she had a whole team of fellow doctors with her, three women and a man. One of the other women, a short blonde, no-nonsense type, stepped forward and picked up the wand, immediately restarting the exam. I flinched as she pushed hard into my abdomen and whimpered slightly as she hit the sore spot. I was grinding my teeth, fighting the pain as she dug in hard and moved the wand around, looking at the spot for several minutes. When she lifted the wand away, I unclenched my jaw, but was panting slightly from fighting the pain. Jack, who had been watching, spoke up. "Love? If it hurts, ye need ta speak up." The doctors all looked at me. I was unaware of the tears streaming down my face. Jack turned to the doctors. "She was fighting tha pain so hard, I could hear her teeth grinding and creaking. And she was holding her breath there at tha end, trying not ta yell out. That's why she's outta breath." Jack grabbed a tissue from the nearby box and wiped my face, blotting my eyes as I looked away from everyone's gaze.

Mark moved so he could stand at my other shoulder, avoiding the wires and IV bag, taking my hand in his and sitting on the edge of the bed to grasp my shoulder. "Babe, squeeze my hand if it hurts okay? I know sometimes the way you fight the pain makes it so you can't talk, but you can squeeze my hand. I can take it, and I can then tell somebody. Besides, I think the doctors need to know when you're in that much pain." He looked at them, as they all nodded, looking thoughtful.

The single male doctor in the room spoke up. "Yes, we absolutely do. We might need the information to diagnose the problem. This looks like it's a complicated case, and every little bit of information will help. I, for one, had no idea you were in that much pain. You were absolutely silent." He was looking right at me as he said this, looking for something in my expression. I don't know what, but he seemed surprised and looked back at his colleagues, whispering a comment I couldn't hear before writing a note on his tablet.

Jack chuckled and spoke up again. "Ye doctors best learn this fast and make a note in her chart. Our lass doesn't complain about pain. She bites it back until it overwhelms her. She doesn't complain in general. She had broken ribs a few years ago and just occasionally rubbed the bruise she had, even right after it happened. She followed tha medical advise she got, but she doesn't tell anyone if she's in pain unless she can't cope anymore, or she's about ta throw up. She will let it get so bad she either throws up or passes out as well. She's already done that today." I was blushing brightly, hiding my face in Jack's embrace as much as I could, trying to silence him. He looked down at me. "Love, calm down. They need ta know. I don't know why ye're embarrassed ta let people know about pain, but tha doctors and nurses here are trying ta help, and need ta know." I looked up at him, my eyes haunted for a moment as memories of my past danced before my eyes. I was fighting them back as hard as I could, but he must have seen my expression and realized something. "[Y/N]? Is the pain thing because of your father?" I closed my eyes, feeling defeated as tears once again slid down my face, the only confirmation Jack needed. "Lass... He can't hurt ye anymore. And it's okay ta show yer pain ta the world. No one here is going ta judge ye or use it against ye." He hugged me tight again and I let out a small sob, feeling overwhelmed. He didn't let me go for several minutes as I fought to regain my composure and battled my inner demons. When I had finally calmed down, he loosened his grip a little, sensing I was back under control, but he didn't move away. 

"Sorry. Somethings are too ingrained and come back at the strangest times." I looked at the doctors. "So, what's going on with me this time?"

The doctors all looked at me for several minutes, compassion, but not pity, on their faces. The doctor who had originally been examining me spoke up. "Well, we're still checking things out. We need to adjust your pain medicines though, since you're in that much pain. You should barely be able to feel what we're doing, not be fighting to keep the pain down. We ordered a dose of pain medicines already and are just waiting for the nurse to bring them in." She waved her tablet at me slightly, smiling. "Computers have helped so much with this kind of thing. Now, while we wait, we have a few more questions for you. Have you ever been diagnosed as anemic?"

I blinked. "Uh, a really long time ago. Like when I was a baby. And again when I was a child, I had to take iron supplements. I have had a few problems with it as an adult, but over the counter vitamins seemed to fix it. Why?"

The doctor nodded, and smiled. "We just need to check your iron levels again. They looked a little low on your blood workup."

Mark spoke up. "Babe, you were anemic when you were pregnant with the girls too." He turned to face the team of doctors. "She had quadruplets just over a year and a half ago, and she was anemic then." 

I squeezed Mark's hand. "Thanks sweetie. I had forgotten that."

The doctors all looked at each other and nodded, one of them making a note. The doctor from earlier spoke up again. "Good to know. By the way, while we're waiting, we might as well introduce ourselves. I'm Dr. Trish Samson. This," she indicated the blonde doctor at the ultrasound machine, "is Dr Gabby Nickles. My male colleague here is Dr Wally Andrews, This quiet lady is Dr. Anna Clark, and finally, this is Dr Eve Duran. She's head of the OB/GYN department here at the hospital, and I wanted her to come in for this consultation." We nodded to each of the doctors in turn. "Now, back to the questions. Do you have a... Wait, your boyfriend just answered that. Nevermind. Okay, final question. Have you ever had any ovarian cysts in the past or a family history of them? Like did you mother or grandmother suffer from them, to your knowledge."

I shook my head. "No, not as far as I know. Mom would have mentioned them to me I think, if she had them or her mom did. And I don't know about my maternal grandmother." The doctors made a few notes and talked to each other in hushed voices for a few minutes. The nurse came in with my pain medicine, gave it to me, along with a small cup of juice, and I took the pills. He smiled as he carried the empty cup back away, disposing of it, and the doctors came back over. After the nurse left, I remembered something. "Um, actually, I have had an ovarian cyst, once. In college. It didn't hurt like this though." The doctors nodded again and wrote more notes.

Dr Trish, as she told us to call her now, informed us she was taking the lead on the case, at least for now. We nodded our agreement. Dr. Nickles went back to the ultrasound machine and moved the wand away from the sore areas, examining my whole pelvis, gathering information while she waited for the pain medication to help. After about ten minutes, she moved to the other area they had found was tender and painful. She started out gentle, but after I informed them it no longer hurt, she pushed harder, allowing the doctors to get a clearer image. After about twenty five minutes, they finished up, wiping the conductive gel off my abdomen, and stepped back into the hall to discuss the results. Dr. Trish told us they would be back in a few minutes and to just try to relax until they got back. We once again nodded, and Mark shifted positions so he could hug me, avoiding all the tubes and wires. I smiled at him, hugging back tightly. Jack had moved so he was just gripping my shoulder when I had had to move slightly on the bed during the exam. We all stayed quiet, our thoughts staying unvoiced for the moment. I was wondering what, if anything, the doctors had discovered and what exactly was wrong with me. I suspected Jack and Mark were wondering the same things. 

When Dr. Trish came back in a few minutes later, she was smiling at all of us. "Well, good news and better news. First, we figured all this out." Her smile got a little bigger as we visibly relaxed a little. "The better news, we can release you in just a little while. We have a few prescriptions to give you, one for pain, and one an iron supplement to combat your anemia, which is back. Now, moving on to why you ended up here. First, congratulations are in order. You three are pregnant!" 

I blinked, once, twice, three times, then a slow smile crept across my face. Mark and Jack looked at each other, wide eyed, then down at me. They looked shocked. When they saw my slow smile, they smiled as well. We all looked back at the doctor. She was grinning now. "And the reason you had the pain like that, as far as we can tell, is you had two ovarian cysts form after you got pregnant, which burst. The pain should subside in a few days, but if it last more than a week, see your regular doctor, okay? Now, from what we can determine, you are just under two months along, we estimate you at six weeks. And you have more than one little passenger in there as well, but it's not as full a house as it was last time for you. You have two little babies forming, from what we could see today. And we got the heartbeats recorded. I'm sorry we didn't think to take the headset out of the jack and let you hear, but we do have some images to give you if you would like to take them home."

I nodded immediately. Jack grinned at me. "Ye love those pictures an awfully lot lass."

I grinned at him. "I love babies, Jack. Oh my god. I can't believe we're pregnant again. This was a hell of a way to find out too."

Mark kissed my cheek. "You never do anything small. Now, relax. We'll call everyone and let them know you're okay, call a car, and by the time you're ready to be released, everything will be ready."

"Thanks Mark. Hey, what time is it?"

Mark looked at his cell phone. "Uh, about three thirty, why?" He looked at me suspiciously. 

I grinned hugely. "I can still make my panel tonight! It doesn't start until seven. As long as I'm medically cleared?" I looked at the doctor for confirmation.

Dr. Trish blinked. "You should be fine to attend a panel. Are you three going to PAX then?"

I laughed. "Yeah. We're involved in PAX." 

Dr. Trish looked at the three of us for a long minute then her jaw dropped. "Wait! Are you three those YouTubers, Markiplier, JackSepticEye, and [Y/Y/N]? I thought you looked familiar." We nodded, and I blushed. She grinned at me. "Well definitely take it easy for a while. If you have any more sudden pains or anything unusual, come back to the hospital. You will probably see a little bleeding for a few days, so don't panic. Your babies should be fine. Again, if it's unusually heavy bleeding or lasts more than a week, seek medical attention. Someone will be in to wheel you back up to the other room, where your clothes are, in just a moment, and then we can start the discharge paperwork. And congratulations again!" With that, Dr. Trish stepped out of the room.

I couldn't stop smiling, the whole way back to the room. I felt like I was bursting with happiness, even if we hadn't planned this. I hoped Mark and Jack were just as happy. I had asked them not to tell anyone yet, wanting to tell people in person, and to wait to call our families, since we hadn't called to tell them I had to go to the hospital in the first place. They agreed, and Jack headed out to make the calls. Mark stayed with me, watching as they unhooked the machines and IV, then he immediately scooped me up in a tight hug. I snuggled into him, sitting up. We stayed like that for a long moment, until a nurse walked in, clearing her throat, making us jump slightly and spring apart. "Sorry to interrupt. You can go ahead and get dressed now. We'll be bringing in your discharge instructions in just a minute, then you'll be free to go. Your prescriptions will be with the discharge papers." I nodded and Mark grabbed my clothes handing them to me. I got dressed with some care, in case I had any more pain, but the medication seemed to be doing its job and I didn't feel any sudden pains, or anything more than a slightly dull ache in my abdomen. It wasn't even as bad as my usual cramps, so I didn't pay it any attention. Jack came back in a minute before the nurse got back with my papers. She went over everything, handing me the ultrasound images and prescription. The other papers were put in a folder and Mark took them. I was told I had to use the wheelchair out of the hospital, which made me grumble, but I complied and we headed out to the waiting Uber, which arrived just as we did. We climbed in, and I snuggled into Mark and Jack as we rode back, a smile once again back on my face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TADA!! Another chapter update! Sorry if these two chapters were a little short, but I wanted to break them up so things flowed a little better. Also, it was more dramatic this way. XD I couldn't help myself...
> 
> And before anyone asks, the question the doctor stopped asking was "Do you have a history or family history of multiples?"
> 
> Until next chapter, *MWAH!!* Smoochies!


	6. PAX West Adventures, Day 2, Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back to PAX we go...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. Much. Cuddles. And FLUFF! Yeah!
> 
> \-----------------------------------------------------------

Everyone was waiting for us as soon as we got back to the convention hall. They descended as a whole group, checking to make sure I was really alright, and demanding to know what had happened. Apparently, Jack had only said I was on my way back to the con and that I was doing a lot better. I got a lot of hugs from everyone, especially after I explained it was a female issue, which made the men all uncomfortable and the ladies look at me closely, worry on several of their faces. I promised to explain more later, but then told them I had to go find the event coordinator for the panel tonight and inform them I would be going out after all. Jack and Mark shook their heads at me, and Mark left to go find them. Jack insisted I sit next to him on the bench, and I didn't object, cuddling in close while we talked to everyone. I was waiting to share the news about the babies until later, mainly because I didn't want everyone worried about me more than they needed to be, and also because I wanted Ken and Mary to have at least one whole day about them and their baby. The very thought that Mary and I would be having babies at almost the same time made me happy and I was smiling a lot, but I just blamed the lack of pain and fact that was feeling better whenever someone asked. Jack kept kissing me, but no one else seemed to have noticed. He was holding me close, his head resting on my shoulder, his mouth turned so he could whisper to me or kiss the side of my head. I think everyone just thought he was relieved I was safe and happily back at PAX. When Mark came back, he snuggled into my other side, wrapping his arms around me as well, but both men were being careful not to rest their hands on my abdomen. I mentally laughed. I think they were enjoying just having a secret with me as much as I was. 

Around five, my stomach growled loudly, making Mark jump. I giggled a little, unable to fight it back and he looked at me, getting ready to tease me. "Oh, is that nice? I didn't laugh at you earlier when you passed out!"

I laughed out loud. "Mark, you were as scared as I was. I'm sorry I giggled about that, but you looked like I had just grabbed your ass." I leaned in close and whispered as quietly as I could right in his ear "Or Jack had. Or we had done something else with your ass." 

He blushed and grinned. "Okay, that's not fair. You're no doubt right, but it's still not fair." I chuckled. Jack leaned in and asked me what I said, so I turned to him and whispered it to him, making him laugh as well and kiss me. 

"Love, ye are definitely right. Jump scared by a stomach rumble, Mark? Maybe you should go get the lovely lass some food. And me as well. But the lady has a panel ta get ready for soon, so she has ta eat first. We missed lunch in all this excitement."

Mark leaned over and kissed both of us, softly. "Okay fine. Gang up on me. But I'll go fetch us some food. Do either of you have any requests, or should I just surprise you both?"

"Mm. I want some spicy chicken curry, Naan, and rice please. And a big cup of tea." I smiled and looked into Mark's eyes. "Thanks babe."

Jack grinned. "Surprise me please." 

Mark nodded at both of us. "Be right back. Don't move a muscle, except to breathe. You both look too comfortable." I was still smiling at him as he walked out the door. Marzia, Mandy, Molly, and Mary came over, arms crossed almost as soon as the door closed behind Mark.

Molly spoke up first. "Spill. Now."

I sighed. Jack squeezed my shoulder lightly, encouraging me. "I had two ovarian cysts that burst. That's what caused the pain. As soon as I had the scans and bloodwork they needed done, the hospital was able to release me with some medicines to help me recover, but really the worst of it is over already. One medicine is for the pain and the other is because I'm slightly anemic again. Apparently, rupturing ovarian cysts hurt like a bitch. The pain is what made me pass out earlier. Moving around is why they burst too, I guess. That's why it hurt me so much to stand up. I really am okay now though. Just a little achy, like some mild cramps from my period would cause." I snuggled closer to Jack, who just smiled at me and kissed the side of my head again. The ladies watched, but still looked worried for me. "Thank you for caring. Really though, it was scary, and I promise not to overdo it, but I'm going to be just fine. I have to schedule a follow-up appointment with my OB/GYN at home, and we got a list of things to watch for, but the doctors all said I would be just fine. They were really thorough too."

Finally, the other women relaxed. Mary came over and gave me a hug. "You could have mentioned how bad the cramps were to one of us earlier. We didn't realize you were in that much pain. You never complain about things, unless they get really, really bad, and we don't always remember that. You scared us when you had to be dragged out in an ambulance like that. Jack and Mark were pretty frantic too." I felt Jack's arms come around my waist to give me a little squeeze.

I looked down at the floor. "I'm really sorry about that. I wasn't trying to be dramatic. I just couldn't handle the pain. It happened once while I was in the hospital too, and I threw up once while I was there too." 

Jack rubbed my shoulder, one handed, and he kept the other arm around me, trying to keep me calm and comfort me at the same time. "Love, we already talked about this. Ye can't help it if yer sick. Just try ta relax. Tha doctors told ye that ye needed ta relax ta get better. Besides, think how upset Mark will be if he comes back and finds ye all tense and riled up, when ye had finally relaxed when he left." Mary, Mandy, Molly, and Marzia all looked a little guilty for a few seconds. Jack looked at them. "Ladies, we do appreciate tha worry, but really, Mark and I are going ta be keeping a much closer eye on her for tha rest of tha con. And she's been beating herself up enough already about how this played out. Please, no more guilt trips." All four of them blushed and nodded then walked back over to the rest of the guys. Suzy, Dan, and Arin chose that moment to come rushing in, and seeing Jack and I sitting here, headed our way. Marzia stopped them, grabbing Suzy's arm, whispering to her, probably explaining what exactly had happened, but Dan looked at me worried, determination on his face. Dan only paused a minute before heading over and pulling me out of Jack's lap in a bear hug.

"You scared the shit out of me. I'm glad to see you're okay now though."

I chuckled. "Dan, can you please put me back down? I want to cuddle with Jack some more. I still don't feel great."

He grinned and nodded, setting me back in Jack's lap. Jack grinned, hugging me close, and we settled back into comfortable positions, talking to Dan. We explained everything one more time, with Suzy and Arin close enough that they heard everything we said. After they were satisfied that I really was okay, Jack steered the conversation away from me, on to other things. I snuggled into Jack's chest a little more and closed my eyes. I didn't fall asleep, but I was comfortable and relaxed, finally. That's how Mark found us when he came back with the food a little while later.

I smelled the food before I saw Mark, the strong scent of curry filling my nose. Suddenly, the first wave of morning sickness rolled over me, but I managed to fight it down, turning my head and face into Jack's chest again. He must have seen my expression because he stroked my hair again and didn't say anything. Mark came over, handing Jack his food, and started to hand me what I had asked for until he saw the look Jack gave him. He just nodded and put the bag down, folding it over as much as he could to seal the smell away. Fortunately, Mark had gotten food for Jack and himself that had very little aroma, so I was able to fight the nausea down completely after a few minutes and turned my face towards him. I smiled, a little shakily, at Mark then. He looked at me, an eyebrow raised in question. I mouthed the words 'morning sickness' to him. He made a face and nodded. No one else seemed to have noticed us, having all moved over to the main table in the room to play a game of Cards Against Humanity until they had to leave for the next event they were involved with. After another ten or so minutes, I felt the nausea leave completely and the hunger coming back, so I reached down and picked up the bag of food, opening it slowly. It still smelled strongly of spices and curry, but the smell didn't make me feel sick this time, so I took my food out and started eating, slowly, so I didn't overload my stomach. Mark had set my cup of tea down as well, and handed it to me now. I smiled at him. "Thanks Mark. For everything." He grinned, nodded, and went back to his food, leaning into Jack's side so he was close to both of us. We just ate in peace, watching our friends play. I hardly ate anything, but I knew if I ate more, it would just come back up later. After I finished, I closed the bag up again and just snuggled back into Jack's warmth. 

Jack smiled at me. "Ye feeling okay, love? Ye didn't eat that much."

I nodded. "Just not feeling very hungry right now, I guess. I'm kind of afraid the food won't sit too well if I eat more." I leaned over and whispered in his ear, "I think the morning sickness is starting" before settling back. He looked at me, sympathetically, and hugged me. He and Mark continued eating, watching me closely the whole time. I just relaxed and closed my eyes, gathering myself for the panel. I actually did feel pretty good, except for the random, occasional mild wave of nausea and the slight ache in my midsection. I may have taken a small nap at some point, but I'm not totally sure. A few minutes before I needed to leave for the panel, I started to get up and get ready. Jack and Mark helped me gather my stuff and walked me to the stage, promising to watch from backstage, just in case I needed something. I smiled and reassured them I would be fine. "Guys, seriously. I'm taking it easy and doing everything the doctors said to do. You need to relax as well. As soon as I'm done here, I want to go back to the room and go to bed. I'm going to be tired, I'm sure. Thank you though. If you want to wait here, I won't try to stop you, but you really can go watch from the audience, or even go watch something else. This is mostly going to be a question and answer session, so it shouldn't be too rowdy or out of control. And I'm not the only panelist."

Jack looked at me. "Do ye seriously expect us ta go sit in tha crowd?"

I smiled and shook my head. "I guess not. I just had to give you that option. Now, do you want to sit and snuggle for a few minutes more before I have to go out there, or are you sick of my cuddles?"

Both men grabbed me by the waist and pulled me down into the seat with them. I giggled. Mark kissed me, then answered my question. "Never, ever, ever will we be sick of your snuggles, cuddles, kisses, or hugs babe." Jack nodded and I just leaned into Mark's side, cuddling him the way I had be cuddling Jack earlier. Jack leaned in close, and rested his hand on my back, gently stroking a soothing pattern. I smiled and closed my eyes for just a few minutes, then watched as my fellow panelists gathered backstage for the event. Eventually, I had to get up and go join them, kissing Jack and Mark for luck, and settling myself in for the panel.

Tyler Oakley was on the panel with me and ended up being seated next to me at the table, so we were chatting easily while we waited for the curtain to lift and the mics on the table to go live. I was unfamiliar with the other people, but they all seemed friendly. We all got seated and time was called. The curtain went up in front of us, and the crowd cheered. Everything after that was a blur of questions, answers, laughs, and emotionally charged stories. I fielded a large number of questions, including nearly a dozen about my earlier ambulance ride and needing to be hauled out on a stretcher. No one seemed convinced that I was really okay, at least until I told them my ever watchful boyfriends were backstage and not letting me go anywhere without being watched for signs I was going to collapse again. I did have several women express concern and surprise that I was still doing the panel after two ovarian cysts ruptured, all of them explaining they had the same condition and they usually couldn't even move after that happened for a few days. I smiled and informed the audience I was tough and wasn't going to miss more events that was absolutely needed. I joked about how life with four toddlers made me realize how unpredictable things were, but when I made a commitment like this, I was never going to just abandon it. My fans in the crowd suddenly surged forward toward the mics, insisting that they didn't think that, and I needed to take care of myself, that they would understand if something came up and I needed to step back or miss an event. I blushed and smiled at the support, thanking everyone, and suggested we move on before we all got kicked out for the next event. We kept the crowd focused and the panel finished without incident. 

As soon as it was over, I walked back to Jack and Mark, sitting down with a groan and curling up into both of them. They smiled at me, congratulated me on the success of the panel, and asked me if I was ready to head out. I opened one eye and looked at them both. "Ugh. Let me just recharge my batteries a bit. I'm too tired to walk all the way out to find a car."

Mark laughed. "Well, then let's go back to the room with our friends. We can call a car from there. And if we need to, Jack or I can even carry you, babe. But they need the stage for the next event in about fifteen minutes." I sighed and nodded, letting Jack pull me to my feet. They both wrapped arms around me and supported me as I made my way back to the room where our friends were waiting. As soon as we got there, I sat down in a chair by the door. Jack reached down, lifted me up, and sat down, settling me back down in his lap. Mark pouted. "Jaaaaack! I was going to do that." 

Jack grinned at him. "Too slow Mark. Now you have ta sit next ta us. Poor baby." I turned and gave both of them a look. They blushed and settled down. 

Felix came over, having watched the whole interaction, laughing. "[Y/N], the only woman I know who can shut these two loudmouths up with a single look. How do you do that anyway?"

I laughed. "I'm scary. Ask any of my daughters, my underlings, or my exes. They can tell you. Besides, it's not just these two who I can shit up with a look. I've been known to do the same to complete strangers, and of course, anyone I know." I chuckled. "Heh. I could definitely use the look on fans, but I don't want to cause chaos." 

Jack hugged me. "So restrained and sensible."

I winked at him, bawdy thoughts running through my brain. "Not always." Mark and Jack both blushed, clearly following my train of thought without me saying anything more. 

Felix was snickering again. "Glad to see you feeling better. This morning was scary as hell. Now, are you going to be smart and head back to the hotel? Marzia, Mary, Ken, and I are headed back now as well, and were going to see if you three wanted to hang out in our room."

I smiled and nodded. "That sounds like a great idea, unless you want to hang out in our suite. The we always get a suite, since there are three of us, even though a regular room would work. Mark was already getting a car to take us back to the hotel. He told me when I was gathering the strength to come back here after the panel. I'm tired and sore and just want today to be over." I sighed, then looked at Jack and Mark. "These two have been amazing all day, so strong and comforting to me, which I know isn't easy, and I think all three of us just want a fairly quiet evening. You, Ken, Mary, and Marzia can help us unwind a little and maybe we can all play a few games before having an early night?"

Mark nodded. Jack grinned. "Love, whatever ye want. Although, some games and snacks sound like a brilliant plan. Ye need ta rest though."

Felix nodded. "We better hang out in your suite then. [Y/N] can rest or go to bed as soon as she gets tired, and it sounds like you have the most room anyway. I'll tell Marzia, Ken, and Mary." 

We nodded and Felix walked over to the others, speaking quietly to them. Mark grabbed his phone and called a car to come get us and drive us back to the hotel. Meanwhile, I reached in my bag and pulled out the medicines we had picked up on the way back to the convention from the pharmacy, reading the labels carefully. I was supposed to take two iron supplements a day, one in the morning and one in the evening, so it was time to take one. And the pain medication had worn off from the hospital, so I read the instructions on that bottle as well, after being reassured repeatedly that it would be fine to take even though I was pregnant. Just thinking about the fact that I was pregnant again sent a flurry of emotions through my brain, fear for the babies health and my own, excitement, joy, panic, and nervousness were of course in the forefront. I was very happy as well, and a faint smile had been on my face ever since we found out, almost without fail. I let the smile come out fully now, snuggled into Jack's side, as I thought about the immediate future. I opened the two pill bottles, grabbed a bottle of water, and took the doses of medicine, then settled in against Jack again. He smiled at me and noticed my smile as well. He moved his head slightly so he could whisper in my ear. "Lass, what are ye thinking about? Ye look so content and happy, I want ta share."

I looked at him. "Just thinking about everything. How glad I am that the hospital visit turned out the way it did, and my health is good after all. How good life is at the moment."

Jack nodded, smiling his own smile of contentment as he shifted positions slightly, allowing him to watch the room a little more and making me a little more comfortable in the process. Mark ended his phone call, nodding at us. "Well, the car will be here in about ten minutes. I think if Mary and Marzia are agreeable, we can all share the cab if the ladies sit in our laps and we squeeze in close." Jack nodded. I did as well, somewhat absentmindedly, still thinking about the babies. Mark looked at me and grinned. "Babe? You look like your thoughts are a million miles away. What are you even thinking about?"

I looked at him, still smiling faintly. "How much I love you, Jack, and our family. How perfect things are right now." I leaned over to him and whispered so only he and jack could possibly hear. "The babies. The future." I sat back up, watching the two men smile at me then each other and nod. Mark wrapped an arm around Jack's shoulders, pulling him in close, and by extension, me as well, since I was still in Jack's lap. I impulsively leaned forward and hugged Mark hard, surprising him a little, but he grinned and wrapped his other arm around me, almost protectively. Jack leaned into Mark's side a little more, resting his head on Mark's shoulder. Mark laid his head on top of Jack's. I snuggled in close to both of them, curled up a little and we watched our friends while we waited for the car to get to the convention center. After just a few minutes, something occurred to me, making me uncurl and stand up. Mark and Jack both started to protest, but I just waved them back. I walked over to Felix, Ken, Mary, and Marzia. "Mark called a cab to come for us, and it will be here in a few minutes. Do you guys want to share? Mary, Marzia, you'll probably have to sit in your guys laps. I'm definitely going to have to sit in Jack's and Mark's. I think they will make me even if y'all don't ride with us."

Ken suddenly laughed. I looked at him confused, and raised an eyebrow, as did everyone else. After a few seconds, he looked at me and gasped out an answer. "I forget where you're from most of the time. I've never actually heard you say y'all like that before, and it was way funnier than it probably should have been."

I blushed and looked down. Then I decided to mess with him a little, putting on an exaggerated southern drawl and accent. "Well, Ken, that's a lovely way to treat a lady. And I thought you were a gentleman. Y'all really need to learn better manners, bless your heart." Felix looked at me for a few seconds, jaw dropped. Mary and Marzia were fighting back laughter. Ken looked chagrined and blushed a little. I chuckled. "I'm good with accents. Now, do you want to share the cab with us or not?"

All four of them agreed and I headed back over to Jack and Mark, telling them and helping them gather our belongings to take back to the hotel. As soon as we had everything, we headed outside to look for the cab, which, coincidentally pulled up almost as soon as we set foot out the door. The cab ride back to the hotel was spent with Ken and Felix teasing me about my accent, and me mocking them back, imitating their accents and a lot of other accents as well. Mary told me my Australian accent was actually pretty good. After we got back to the hotel, everyone headed to our suite, stopping briefly at their own rooms to drop off anything they didn't need, change clothes if needed, and grab anything they wanted to bring over. Jack, Mark, and I headed directly to the suite of course. I decided to take a hot shower and change into more comfortable clothes. Jack and Mark nodded when I told them that's what I was doing, and Jack decided to join me. We took a fast shower together, not doing anything but getting clean, and as I got out, I noticed I was bleeding a little. Since the doctor had told me this would happen, I was able to keep the worry at bay, and found some pads I had packed for emergencies. I was dressed in loose comfortable jeans, a Markiplier's hero's tee shirt and a 'Whooshie Whoosh' hoodie. Jack grinned when he saw what I had picked out to wear. "Love? Are ye cold? Or did ye just want ta wrap up in clothes ta advertise Mark's and my channels?"

I stuck my tongue out at him. "I want to be comfy. These are comfy clothes. Now, hush. I'm achy, cranky, and still don't feel tip top." 

Jack came over and wrapped his arms around me, resting his head on my shoulder and his hands on my abdomen. "I can't believe how lucky Mark and I are ta have ye in our lives. And ye're having our babies, again. Tha girls have been amazing. I'm so happy and excited!" I leaned into his embrace, smiling and nodded. When there was a gentle knock on the door, I didn't even hear it, and apparently neither did Jack. Mark opened the door, peeking around it to see if we were doing alright. He smiled at the picture we made and cleared his throat making both of us jump. "Jaysus Christ Mark! What tha hell man?"

Mark grinned a little sheepishly. "Sorry! I thought you guys heard me knock. I was just checking on you to see how you were doing. Felix and Marzia just got here and Ken and Mary are on the way, so you might want to hurry up." 

I sighed and nodded, moving gently away from Jack to follow Mark out of the bathroom. I sat down on the end of the couch, curling my knees up into my chest and resting my head on them, my arms wrapped around my knees. My bare feet were on the edge of the seat with my toes just hanging over the edge, making Marzia giggle when she noticed my toenail polish. I looked down and laughed as well. I had forgotten the girls had been 'helping' me paint my toenails earlier in the week and now I had different colors on each different nail. "Oh, so you noticed my fabulous toes, huh? The girls helped me pick the colors, and they might have been a little indecisive." Marzia nodded, still giggling. Mark came over and sat beside me.

"Babe, we told you after we saw them the first time, it's adorable. Besides, rainbow toes could be a new trend before long. Who knows?" I rolled my eyes, but leaned into his side. Mark wrapped an arm around me, pulling me away from the arm of the couch so Jack would have some room to sit next to me when he came over in a few minutes. I sighed contentedly and closed my eyes, cuddling Mark. A few minutes later, Jack came over with a soft blanket and he sat down, wrapping me up in the blanket. 

I looked at him, smiling. "Thanks sweetie." I yawned. "Sorry. This has been a long, dramatic day. I don't think I'm going to be staying up very late tonight."

Felix looked at me, concern plain on his face again. "Are you sure you're okay? I mean, you seem to be in a pretty good mood and everything, but that was some scary shit earlier at the convention. I've never heard anyone scream like that then pass out."

I looked down. "Yeah, I'm really okay. It was just bad for a while." I felt Mark's arms around me pull me closer. I looked up at him. He looked worried. "Hey. Today's not a bad day. It had a few bad parts, but overall, I've had worse days. I just don't like to dwell on the negative. Now, what games do you want to play guys?" I addressed the whole room as I added the last part, looking around at everyone. Jack snuggled into my other side, pulling the blanket over himself as well, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. I uncurled my legs, setting my feet on the floor, allowing him to snuggle in a little more comfortably. Mark smiled, leaning on me just a little as well. 

Felix smiled at us. "Well, you three look comfy now. And I'm up for whatever game everyone decides on. Any suggestions?"

Jack and Mark looked at me. I thought for a few minutes. "Well, I always bring a few games with me, so I have CAH, FUNemployed, and several packs of regular playing cards. Or we could play computer games if you guys want to go get your laptops. As long as I don't have to move, I don't care what we do." 

Mark nodded, thoughtful. "Yeah babe, you stay here. Jack or I will get anything you need for a while. Unless you need to go to the bathroom or something."

I grinned. "Thanks. I think I can handle that on my own."

Marzia and Felix laughed. Just then, there was a knock on the door. Jack groaned, so Mark got up to get it, unwinding his arms from me. I leaned into Jack, but otherwise didn't move, resting and relaxing. Ken and Mary followed Mark back in, and Mark immediately reclaimed his seat, leaning into my side again. Since Felix and Marzia were still chuckling, Ken asked what the joke was. We explained and much to my chagrin, he commented back, "Yeah, it's not like when she was pregnant and you two had to haul her everywhere." Mary and Ken laughed now too, and I kept a straight face, but I could almost feel the panic coming off Jack and Mark at the comment. I looked at them from the corners of my eyes. They were both looking a little panicked. I sent out two sharp elbows, warningly, but it was too late, Mary and Marzia caught the expressions, as did Felix.

Suddenly, I felt three sets of eyes zoom to my abdomen, and the room went absolutely silent. Felix was the one to break the silence. "So? Are you pregnant?"

I blushed, nodding. "Sorry for not telling you. We just found out today. And the doctor said the pregnancy was fine. Ir's still really early. I wanted to let Mary and Ken have a few days, or at least one whole day, of being the focus. Sorry guys." I apologized again to them. 

Mary grinned hugely, clapping her hands together. "No worries. And now I get a pregnancy buddy! This is awesome. Especially since you've already been through this one and know what to expect, at least a little." 

I smiled faintly, nodding. Marzia suddenly lept up and hugged me. I hugged her back, grinning as she settled back in Felix's lap. Then I shook my head, slightly bemused. "This time should be easier I hope. For one thing, my heart is completely healthy. Also, we have so much support and help close at hand. And it's not four babies at once. I just hope the morning sickness isn't too bad. It was awful last time." 

Jack grinned at me. "Ye handled it like a champ love. And remember, ye don't have ta do everything by yerself. Markimoo and I are here ta help."

Mark nodded. "Yeah babe. And we found some things that helped even before you went on the anti-nausea medicine before."

I sighed. "I know. I could still live happily without throwing up at the drop of a pin though. And with the girls to chase after, I have the feeling I won't be able to sleep nearly as much as I did last time around." Jack hugged me, leaving his arms wrapped around me completely after he released the pressure, a happy smile on his face. I chuckled a little. "At least I know how you two feel about more babies." I mentally smacked myself upside the head at my slip of the tongue. Was anyone going to notice?

Marzia looked at me for a long minute. "Babies? Are you having more than one, AGAIN?"

Mark looked at me ruefully as I blushed again. "You know her. [Y/N] can't do anything small. From what they could tell on the ultrasound, which was really early, she's having twins." I nodded ducking my head into Jack's shoulder. He patted my back. Mark rubbed my knee. "Relax babe."

Felix and Marzia were looking at each other, open mouthed, which I could just see out of the corner of my vision. Mary and Ken were chuckling. Mary broke the silence first. "Well, you really are the world's biggest overachiever. Now, were you guys planning this or is it a complete surprise?"

I swallowed and turned my face back towards her. "Honestly? We planned on another baby someday, like when the girls were a little older, but this was a total surprise." I sat quietly for a minute. "Not an unhappy one, just a surprise. And I don't think it has totally sunk in yet. I mean, we're so careful about using protection..." I shook my head a little ruefully. "Well, that's neither here nor there, I suppose. But I'm six weeks along, from what the doctor told us today. And the heartbeats were strong and healthy, so even though I had the ruptured cysts, the babies are okay. I just need to rest and relax for a few days."

Felix raised and eyebrow, grinning again. "And you thought the way to do that was to come right back to PAX? Jesus."

I giggled suddenly. "Well, it's quieter than home..."

Mark and Jack started laughing. Before long everyone else had joined in. We settled down eventually and decided to play some CAH. Mary, Marzia, and I looked at each other, grinning as we listened to the guys discuss a strategy to take us down. We all nodded at each other and started a ruthless game, being absolutely evil, all while wearing the most innocent expressions possible. Or occasionally, when one of us was going to play a crap card, we would get extremely suggestive or wicked looks on our faces and play something innocent, just keeping all four men off balance. Everyone was laughing and having a great time. Mark called down to room service and ordered some sandwiches and snacks, taking care to order things that wouldn't trigger nausea for Mary or I. We ended up playing for several hours, until Jack suggested we switch to poker. I immediately agreed. Everyone else agreed as well, looking surprised at my quick response. I hid a evil grin. I have loved poker forever and am pretty good at bluffing, so I was prepared for a good game. A few minutes after we started, there was a knock on the door, so Mark folded and got up to answer it. Dan, Suzy, and Arin were there, along with Wade and Bob. They all came in, claiming they wanted to check on me before they headed to bed. I smiled at them, waved, and concentrated on my hand. I had a flush, so I was pretty sure I was going to win the round. I suspected Ken had three of a kind, based on his reaction and how he kept flicking two of the cards, like he could change what they were by fidgeting. Mary had folded. Marzia was frowning, so I suspected she had a bad hand. Felix was tapping his knee, but didn't look all that pleased. Jack was staring the cards, frowning. We finally finished the hand, and I did indeed win. Marzia and Jack both had one pair, and Felix had two pair, two's and sixes. Ken did indeed have three of a kind, threes, so my flush won easily. I grinned at everyone, laughing at the sour faces of my friends who had been playing and the surprised looks of our other friends who had just gotten here. Jack looked at me, shaking his head. "I should know better than ta play this against ye lass. Ye're face never gives anything away when ye play." He leaned over and kissed me gently. I kissed him back, then snuggled into his shoulder. "Good think we decided not ta play for money."

I chuckled some more at that. Bob had raised his eyebrows, watching everything, and added his two cents. "Actually, be glad she didn't make you lay strip poker. I have the feeling we would be embarrassed to walk in now if she had. I think all of you would be sitting here naked and she'd be fully clothed, laughing." I blushed, but laughed along with everyone else. Jack and Mark both looked at me, grinning. Mark came back over, sitting next to me, and whispered "Hmm. Something to try in private maybe." My blush didn't change, but I winked at him. Jack was blushing now too, having heard Mark. I leaned into Jack, giving him a hug again.

Bob, Wade, Ariz, Suzy, and Dan joined in the next hand and we all played for a while more, until I started yawning. I opted out at that point, making the rest of the group brighten up. I told Jack I would help him instead, but ended up just falling asleep on his shoulder a few hands later. I didn't hear everyone leave, or feel Mark lift me up and carry me to bed. I just slept on, peacefully dreaming about the new babies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter, courtesy of insomnia. For some reason this story has just completely taken over my brain lately. 
> 
> Jack's channel hit 13 million! Woohoo! *Party for days! Loud music, drinks of all types, and food abound. Glitter, banners and streamers decorate everything.* Okay. Now back to my other writing... *Looks at mess from party, sighs, shrugs, and cleans up, shaking head slowly.*
> 
> See you all next chapter! *Mwah!* Smoochies!


	7. PAX West Adventures, Day 3, Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will today be an easier day at PAX?

When I woke up in the morning, I was surprised to see both Jack and Mark were already awake, watching me sleep, smiling. I blinked a few extra times, yawned and stretched before looking for the clock. "What time is it? Are we running late for something?"

Jack chuckled. "Love, relax. It's fairly early yet. Mark and I just woke up a few minutes ago. Ye can sleep some more if ye want, or ye can help me get ready for my panel. I'm a little nervous, which is why I woke up early, and Mark felt me get out of bed, so he woke up. It's only a few minutes past eight."

I nodded and sat up, yawning again. Mark came over and hugged me. "Can't you try to get a little more sleep, babe? Don't forget, the doctor told you to rest and relax."

I made a face. "I'm not really sleepy anymore. Besides, all the warm, cuddly people usually in the bed with me are gone. I can take a nap later if I need to. Now, I need to get up, go to the bathroom, and take a shower. And Jack, don't stress, you know your fans love you and you'll do great. This isn't your first solo panel either. Why so nervous?"

Jack came over to cuddle me, sitting down on the bed next to me, and pulling me close. "Ye're right, I know, but I can't help worrying that no one will attend. Or that something will happen that I don't expect and can't deal with." 

I rested my head on his shoulder and my hand on his knee, soothingly. "Sweetie, you know that's not going to happen. Either thing. You know they are probably going to have to turn people away from your panel, like usual for one of the panels you two are on, and if you can handle the girls, I'm sure you can handle anything the audience throws your way. Besides, I'll be right there, in the front row watching you, cheering you on. If you need to, you can focus on me, okay?" Jack didn't say anything, and I could feel the nervous energy flowing from him. "Sean, I'm serious." I turned to face him, gently lifting his face to look into mine. As I stared into his beautiful blue eyes, I put as much love and reassurance as I could into the look I was giving him. He drew in a breath, then leaned forward, hugging me tight.

"Thank ye love. That really does make me feel a load better. Now, we need ta get ye some breakfast before we do much else. If ye are having our babies again, ye need ta eat. What sounds good? Waffles? Pancakes? Eggs?"

The mention of food made my stomach roll, something I had been fighting since I woke up, and I had to run for the bathroom, barely making it to the toilet in time to empty my stomach in the basin. Mark and Jack followed me, seeing if they could help. I threw up several times, during which Jack held my hair out of my face and the mess, and Mark gently rubbed my back. After I was done, I grimaced and flushed the toilet, leaning back into both of them. "Sorry. Bleh. Now I really need that shower."

Mark held me tight, preventing me from moving for a minute. "In a minute, babe. Let your body adjust and relax first, then I can join you. And we don't have to fool around, I can just help you get cleaned up and wash your hair. I need a shower anyway." He laid a gentle kiss on my shoulder, holding me in his lap. 

I closed my eyes and leaned into him. "Thanks Mark. And thank you for holding my hair Jack."

Jack smiled and leaned in close, kissing my forehead. "Of course, love. I'll always hold yer hair. Now, do ye want me ta see what our friends are up ta this morning? Maybe a distraction will be better for both of us than trying ta plan tha day. I think tha Grump panel is this morning, and we should have enough time for that. I know Danny and Arin would love ta see us there."

I smiled and nodded. "Sounds like a plan. And maybe we can call home and check in on the girls and our Moms? I mean, I know I called the day before yesterday, but I had wanted to call everyday we were here. The unexpected hospital visit and me being too tired last night is why I didn't call yesterday." 

Mark chuckled behind me. "Of course, babe. Now, just relax. We've got you. Jack, do you mind going out and getting us some clothes? Something comfortable please. We're going to go ahead and get this shower under way. See you in a few." Mark leaned over, around me, and kissed Jack, a sweet, lingering kiss, before he stood up, lifting me with him. I was still feeling kind of sick, so I didn't protest or make a fuss, letting Mark take care of me. Jack smiled and slipped out the door, leaving it open in case we needed anything. Mark was true to his word, helping me wash up, especially my hair, without making any passes at me. I felt a lot more human when I stepped back out of the shower, leaving him to finish on his own after I was clean, and knowing he probably wanted a few minutes of 'alone' time. I dried off, got dressed, and headed out into the main part of the suite, brushing my hair out. I saw Jack sitting on the couch, looking at his phone, a panicked and angry look on his face. I headed over immediately and grabbed his hand, pulling his concentration from his phone.

"Jack? What's wrong?"

Jack looked down, swallowing what looked remarkably like tears. "I just got an email... Ye better read it... I can't..." His voice faded out.

I was getting more nervous by the second. I picked up the phone and read through the email. "Oh, Sean..." I hugged him tight. "Come on, you know this has to be a mistake." It was from the US government, explaining his US work VISA was expiring in December, and had not been approved for renewal. "You know the show won't let this happen. And if nothing else, you would have legal ground for staying because of the girls. And quite possibly these babies." I held his hand over my abdomen. I leaned into him. "Please don't worry. We can deal with this. We'll fight it as hard as we can, and if we still don't succeed, we'll all move back to Ireland with you. It's not like I can't work from there, managing your channel, mine, and Mark's. The only things I would have to stop would be the TV show. Same with Mark. He would just have to shift focus back to his channel. We can work from anywhere on YouTube."

Jack looked at me, the unshed tears in his eyes, now overflowing. I leaned forward hugging him close, letting him cry on my shoulder, trying to comfort him. After a few minutes, he stopped sobbing, and settled back against the couch, seemingly emotionally drained. "[Y/N], ye always know exactly what ta say. And ta do. I was just so scared. I was afraid ye would abandon me. That tha girls would be lost ta me. That Mark would have ta choose between his channel, work, and me, and I'd lose out. I love Ireland, I really do, but I don't want ta go back like this."

I nodded, pulling Jack close again, just resting my head on his shoulder this time. "Sean, this is serious, but we can handle it. But not today, not right now. We need a distraction, and then you need to focus on the panel this evening. I have a signing scheduled before that, but I'm sure I can get out of it if I need to. If you need me. You know I'm one thousand percent with you, no matter what. At least, I hope you do. Now, let's just sit here a few minutes until Mark is done in the shower. He might have some ideas as well. Then we can call the house. Talking to our daughters will help all of us calm down." I looked at Jack again. "Maybe then we call Vicki and see if the show knows about this and have the legal department get on this right away. You're too popular on the show to lose this way." I smiled a little crookedly. "Actually, if we need to, all we have to do is tell them all three of us would be gone. And I suspect Felix, Ken, Wade, and Bob would leave too. The show would collapse if they don't support you and try to help."

Jack looked at me again, a faint smile playing across his face now. "Thank ye love." I grinned. He leaned down and kissed me. I kissed back, the snuggled into his side again. Mark came out of the bathroom a few moments later, finding us like this, both of us with serious expressions and lost in thought. He frowned and came over closer, but before he could say anything, Jack spoke up. "Mark, read this email please, before ye ask any questions. We're thinking and planning, but ye need ta be part of this too." Jack handed his phone over to Mark. I suddenly realized I was leaving a large wet spot on Jack's shirt from my wet hair and sat up, brushing the tangles out and headed for the bathroom to blow dry it some. I apologized to Jack, pointing it out, but he just chuckled. "Love, I didn't even notice. I'll dry just fine." I smiled and got to work, drying my hair. When I came back out, Mark was looking stunned, staring in disbelief at the phone in his hand. I gently took it from him, handing it back to Jack.

I steered Mark to the seat next to Jack, and climbed in between the two men, before explaining what I had told Jack to Mark. Mark nodded, looking reassured, but still anxious. When I was done, Mark spoke up. "There is one other thing we could do. I mean, it would help Jack get his green card a lot faster, if he wanted." I looked at Jack, confused for a few seconds then back at Mark. Jack looked just as confused as I felt. Mark swallowed. "Jack could marry one of us. It would make it a lot harder to deport him, especially if we can prove he's the father of any of our kids." I blinked. I could see Jack looking at both of us, surprise and confusion still on his face. 

I looked down. "That would work, I guess. As long as we don't have to tell anyone we aren't all still together. I'm not going to lie about it, especially with more babies on the way. And I'm not giving either of you up." I looked at both men. "I still think it might actually be a better plan to move to Ireland, at least temporarily, if things aren't going our way. I can actually apply for a dual citizenship. My grandfather was born in Ireland, and I still have a lot of family over there, on his side. The girls can all get dual citizenship as well. Actually, they already have it, and have since they were born. I made sure the paperwork was properly filed. It'll make traveling with them a lot easier. Mark, you would have to apply for a VISA, but we could all live in Ireland together for sure."

Jack looked at me, startled. "Love? Ye applied for tha girls ta be Irish citizens? And ye...?"

I chuckled. "Of course I made sure the girls had dual citizenship Jack. Their heritage is important and I wanted to make sure that they could travel to visit your family anytime, easily. And when I was looking into the citizenship details for them, I looked into it for myself. I knew I had family over there as well. I would love to actually meet them someday. The process would cost some money, but it wouldn't even be that expensive for me." I looked into two startled faces for a long minute. "Oh come on you two. You must have realized this would be a possibility at some point in the future. And you know how much of a planner I am. Didn't you even guess I might have been planning in case something eventually came up?"

Both men shook their heads, still looking stunned. I smiled at them, shaking my head a little. Mark seemed to come around first. "Well babe, you have certainly made this easier to get through than it could have been. I mean, this could have been a huge disaster and the timing is pretty bad, but you already have plans in place and ways around almost everything." He shook his head, slowly. "That's a big part of why we love you. And you're super sexy, smart, and talented of course."

Jack grinned. "And a fantastic mom. And an amazing cook. And ye are perfect in so many ways." He leaned over and kissed my cheek. "Thank ye for reminding me that we can get through anything, as long as we stick together. Now, let's go see if we can find some food that ye can stomach, then go watch tha Grump panel. We need tha distraction." I nodded and stood up, taking both men by the hand after they stood up, and walking hand in hand with them down the hall to the elevator. Felix and Marzia were waiting for the elevator as well when we got there.

"Morning bros. How is everyone this morning? [Y/N], are you feeling better this morning than yesterday?"

I gave a half smile. "Sort of. The cramps are pretty much gone, but my stomach is acting up. And we got some unsettling news this morning, so we're a little distracted." I turned to Jack. "Sweetie, you should tell Felix. Or do you want me to?"

Jack shook his head. "I'll do it. Ye relax." He took a deep breath, just as the elevator arrived, and we saw Arin, Suzy, Dan, Wade, and Molly already inside. We got in and Jack turned to the group. "Okay, so I was just going ta tell Felix and Marzia this, but I think I'll tell everybody at once instead. Are ye all going ta breakfast?" Everyone nodded.

Wade spoke up. "Yeah. Bob, Mandy, Ken, and Mary are already in the lobby waiting for us. Actually, Molly and I were just going to come find you guys. What's up?"

I looked at Jack. He looked pinched and stressed, but was trying to hide it. I leaned over, hugging him. "Jack, calm down. Like I told you, this isn't a disaster, just unsettling. And I'm sure our friends are going to help however they can. Just calm down and breathe, sweetheart."

Jack smiled at me, turning his head so he could look into my face. "Yeah, I think maybe I'm going ta wait ta tell everyone until we're eating. I feel like I can barely breathe." I stepped closer, holding him tight and made him follow my breathing the rest of the way down to the lobby and into the restaurant, until we were all sitting at the table together. He seemed a lot calmer after that, but I stayed sitting with him, practically in his lap, scooted over super close. Mark sat on his other side, offering support and comfort as well, wrapping one arm around his shoulders. When everyone was settled in at the table, and our food and drink orders were placed, everyone turned to face us. Jack started to talk. "I started ta tell Felix and Marzia this, but I want ta explain it ta all of ye, since ye're all our friends, and I'm going ta need tha support, I think. [Y/N]'s got a really solid plan and a few backups, but I'm still a little freaked out."

I kissed his cheek. "Sean, calm down please. You haven't told them what the problem is yet, and you're already nearly panicking. Here, just put your head on my shoulder and follow my breathing again. I'll explain." I stroked his hair for a minute, trying to help him calm down. Calling him Sean seemed to have helped, and leaning into me was helping as well, from what I could tell, but Jack was clearly upset and anxious. I turned my face back to our friends. "So Jack got an email this morning. It basically said his VISA is up in December and he needs to go back to Ireland because it hasn't been approved for renewal. I'm going to call Vicki tomorrow, first thing, and get her and the legal department of the show on it. I seriously doubt they know what's going on." I gave a half smile. "I also doubt they are going to be willing to let Jack go, especially since it would mean they would lose Mark and I as well. And if I'm gone, that's going to cause some MAJOR shakeups, not so much with the show, but with staffing issues."

All our friends were now staring open mouthed at us. Dan spoke up first. "Holy shit dudes! That sucks. What are you going to do, if Jack can't stay? I mean, I know it's kind of sudden and all, and you're probably still processing all this, but do you have a plan?"

I grinned. "I do. The girls are all dual citizens of the US and Ireland, and I'm eligible for dual citizenship as well, because I am the grandchild of an Irish citizen. So we can go with him, without any problems. Mark can apply for a VISA and come with us too, at least until we can get things fixed with Jack's VISA for the US." I looked at Mark for a minute. "Or, if we had to, the girls and I could go with Jack for a while and fly back and forth, if Mark can't get a VISA lined up. Just until things can be resolved. Since we can prove the girls parentage, and they already have dual citizenship, it shouldn't be that big a problem, travel-wise. It'll be awful, but we'll manage somehow, I'm sure." I leaned into Jack side a little more. Jack looked a little sick. I grabbed his hand impulsively, and squeezed it. "We'll get through this Jack, never doubt that. Now, please try to relax. You're so stressed, it can't be good for you. I know it's not good for me. Your distress is making me distressed." I rested my head on his shoulder, turning my face so I could whisper to him. "And that's not good for the babies." Jack blinked, closed his eyes, and seemed to steel himself, shaking his head to clear the mental cobwebs. When he opened his eyes, he looked a lot more steady and he smiled at me.

Mark leaned over, squeezing Jack's shoulder. "We're not going to let you go without a fight, Jack. And you should know what a fighter [Y/N] is. I doubt she's going to let a little thing like the US immigration department get between us."

Felix smiled a little. "Yeah, she can be ferocious. But seriously bros, we're here for you too. All of us, right guys?" Every one of our friends nodded their heads, determined looks on their faces. I smiled at them. Felix looked at me. "You should take it easy too, [y/n]. You had enough excitement yesterday. Didn't the doctors tell you to relax and take it easy for a few days?"

I sighed and nodded. "Yes." I looked down at the table for a minute. "And I'm trying. But this really shook Jack up, and he needs to be able to concentrate on his solo panel this evening." I traced the wood grain pattern of the table with a finger. "I think I'm going to tell the event coordinators that I'm going to have to back out of the signing I have this afternoon. Helping Jack out with this is more important."

Jack suddenly grabbed my hand, making me look up at him. "No love. Ye do yer signing. Mark and I will wait for ye, close by. It's important for ye ta interact with tha fans, if ye feel up ta it. Don't let me stop ye." He grinned. "Not that I think I really could, if ye were determined. Somehow, I think ye'd argue me around without me even realizing it. We are still going ta keep an eye on ye ta make sure ye don't overdo things. Now here comes tha food. Let's eat."

I gave Jack a kiss on the cheek and settled back in my seat. As the food was delivered, I had to fight down some major nausea, biting my cheek and concentrating hard to keep my stomach from rebelling. I was only partly successful and had to excuse myself for the bathroom. I managed to get there without losing it, but as soon as I was in the stall, I started throwing up again. I stayed that way for about ten minutes, until I could stop myself. Then I just sat down, flushing the toilet, and leaning my head against the bowl. Then I heard Suzy's voice right outside the stall. "So how far along are you, [y/n]? And why didn't you tell us?"

I pushed the stall door open and looked at her. "Gimme a break Suz. I just found out yesterday. I'm only six weeks along. We were planning on telling everybody, but we got distracted by Jack's news this morning." I sighed. "We found out at the hospital. They had to do an ultrasound to determine what was wrong with me, and they heard the heartbeats and we saw the very tiny, fuzzy images of twins, we think. And of course, the morning sickness started yesterday evening as well. Although, to be honest, I haven't been feeling all that well in the mornings for about a week. And it was the smell that got me. Always the smells."

Suzy grinned. "Well, you certainly don't do things small. Now, if you think you're done, you need to go eat something, and rejoin everybody. I suggest you tell everybody else, especially Danny, now. Danny was ready to come in here after you when you left, especially since you were gone so long." I nodded and stood up, slowly. I walked over to the sink, washed my hands, smoothed my hair in the mirror, and rinsed out my mouth with a few handfuls of water. Then I followed Suzy back out to the table where everyone was waiting. Jack and Mark looked concerned, but not too freaked out. Felix, Marzia, and Ken looked glad to see me back, but mostly unconcerned. Mary looked kind of sick herself and had sympathy all over her face. Everyone else looked worried. Dan looked nearly frantic. 

I sat down next to Jack again, snuggling into his side. He quietly put an arm around me and kissed the side of my head, making me feel protected and comforted. I leaned into him for a short moment before sitting up and looking at my food with a grimace. I picked up my smoothie first, determined to get something in my stomach. Before I took a sip though, I looked up at our friends. "Sorry to run off like that. I..." I swallowed sudden nerves and emotions. "I'm pregnant again, and the food smells got to me. We just found out yesterday. It looks like twins from what the doctors could tell on the ultrasound, and I'm about six weeks along. We were going to tell you all this morning anyway. but Jack's news... ...distracted us." I sighed and took a drink. "We told Felix, Mary, Marzia, and Ken last night, kind of by accident, while they were in our suite." I half smiled and snuggled closer to Jack. "Sorry to worry everyone. I just couldn't handle the smell of the food." I turned back to my smoothie and slowly drank the rest. 

While I drank my breakfast, the group congratulated us. I stayed snuggled into Jack's side. He was smiling and relaxed a lot as breakfast continued. Mark relaxed and smiled too. After I drank the smoothie, I picked at a croissant and ate a few bites of scrambled egg whites. I still felt queasy, so I stopped eating after that, instead turning my head into Jack's side, burying my nose and face in his shoulder. The familiar smell of Jack soothed me and kept my stomach calm. His smell also blocked out the food smells that were once again threatening to make my stomach violently expel its contents. The conversation around the table drifted, with everyone talking about what they still had to do at the convention, what they wanted to see, and where they wanted to go. Arin and Dan were talking about their panel, with Suzy of course, reminding everyone it started at eleven. Jack checked on me several times, looking at me and kissing my head each time and squeezing my shoulders a little, but didn't try to move me away from his side, or made me turn and face our friends. I felt Mark's hand on my shoulder and back, rubbing soothingly several times as well. I appreciated their concern and support. Sitting like this also meant I missed what everyone was looking at and any looks they might have given me, but it made me feel a lot better. When everyone was done, Arin, Suzy and Dan had to go get ready for their panel. The rest of us headed for the convention center. Jack, Mark, and I headed for the room we had all been using as a home base for the con. Almost as soon as we got there, Mark pulled me into his lap, snuggling me close. I smiled at him and got comfortable. Jack sat down next to us, as close as he could, leaning into Mark's side. We sat like this for several minutes until finally Mark spoke. "Babe? Are you feeling any better? You were gone kind of a long time at the restaurant you know. Jack and I were starting to worry."

I sighed. "I was throwing up again. My stomach is okay right now, and the familiar smells of you and Jack are helping keep my stomach calm. Now, I have an idea. Let's call home. I want to talk to the girls, and I want to talk to Mom, Momiplier and Dee and see how things are going. They should all be up by now, don't you think?"

Mark and Jack nodded and Mark pulled out his phone, dialing one handed as he kept the other arm wrapped around me. Dee picked up on the second ring. "Hello?" Mark had the phone on speaker, so we all chorused our greeting. We could practicaly hear her grin over the phone. "Well, hi! How's the convention going? Are you all meeting lots of fans and having a good time?"

Jack and I exchanged rueful looks while Mark answered. "Uh, not exactly. We had a bit of unexpected excitement, but we can wait to talk about that until we're home and face to face with you. How are the girls?"

Dee sounded suspicious. "What kind of excitement? Mark, what aren't you telling me? What's going on?"

I spoke up. "I had an ovarian cyst that burst and had to go to the hospital yesterday. I'm fine now though. Now, are the girls behaving? Can we talk to them please?"

Dee chuckled. "Somehow, I think there's more to the story than that, but fine. I can see you won't talk about anything else until you hear from them yourselves. Not that I blame you. They are being little angels, like usual. Hang on a minute. I think I have to interrupt dress-up time." I heard her talking away from the phone, some unhappy sounds, and then squeals. Suddenly there was a clamor over at the phone. Dee came back on with a laugh. "Okay, they all want to talk to you now. Whose first?"

Jack grinned and whispered to me "I bet Dani or Sam is going to be the first one on here with us." I smiled, remembering that Tiana had gone first the other day. 

"Hewwo? Momma? Daddy? Papa? Are you there?" I grinned. It was Stephanie.

"Hey Stephanie, we're here. All three of us. Are you being a good girl for your grandmothers? And are you having fun with them?"

"Momma! Yes, I's being extra good. And grandmas are awways fun. Is you having fun?"

Jack chuckled. "We're working sweetie. Momma got sick yesterday too, so she's not having very much fun, but mostly we're busy helping people. Ye know, like usual."

Stephanie sounded sad when she answered next. "Momma no get sick. That's bad. Feew better Momma!! We wove you!"

"Thank you baby. I love you too."

Mark grinned at me. "Papa and Daddy love you too, princess. Now, what are you up to?"

"I's pwaying dress up. I's a unicorn." She made a horse noise and giggled at us. "I's got to go. I got to get my horn fixed. Bye Momma! Bye Daddy! Bye Papa! Wove you! Smoochies! *Mwah*" With that the phone thumped on the floor and we heard small voices talking excitedly, far away on the other end. A minute later we heard another little voice on the phone.

"Momma? Stephie said you's sick. Is you okay?"

"Hi babygirl! I have an upset tummy, but I'm doing okay. How are you Tiana?"

Tiana sniffled a little, sounding stuffy. "I has a runny nose, but I feew good. Grandma keeps making me bwow my nose, which I no wike, but I's good. And I's a frog! Ribbit Ribbit!"

Mark chuckled. "Wow, are you a frog princess? Or a princess frog?"

Jack laughed. "That's a really good frog impression Ti. Have ye been practicing?"

"Daddy! Papa! I's didn't know you were there too! EEEEEE!" I giggled silently, making both men look at me. "Is you sick too?"

Mark was quick to reassure her. "No baby. Daddy and Papa aren't sick. But we're taking good care of Momma. Be a good girl for your grandmothers."

Tiana sounded insulted for a few seconds. "I's awways a good girl, Papa." I snorted. She changed her answer slightly. "Wew, mostwy. I's better go. Stephie might take my spot. Bye bye! I wove you! Smoochies! *MWAH*" The phone thumped on the floor on the other end again. I sighed, still amused. 

Jack leaned over and whispered to me while we were waiting for the next little princess to pick up. "Love? Why did ye laugh when Tiana greeted us?"

I giggled again. "She sounded like one of the fan girls at a signing or the panels." Jack and Mark both laughed, nodding. 

We were all still chuckling when Dani came on the other end of the phone. "Hewwo?"

Mark greeted her first. "Hi Dani! Momma, Papa, and Daddy are all here." 

I jumped in. "We just wanted to say hi to our beautiful little princesses and see how you were doing."

"Momma! Hi. Are you sick? Stephie said you were."

Jack answered this time. "Hey little love. Momma's got a sore tummy. She's doing okay though. She had ta go ta tha doctor yesterday, and tha doctor gave her some medicine ta make her all better."

"Poor Momma. Take tha icky though. Doctors are reawy smart. They make it aww better. Is Daddy and Papa taking care of you?"

I giggled. "Yes, baby, they are. They always do when I don't feel good. Just like I do when you don't feel good, or like they do when you don't feel good and I'm not there. How are you doing?"

"I's good. We's pwaying dress up, and I's the fairy. I even has wings and a wand. Wheeeee! Grandma is hewping us get dressed, so I's got to go soon. It's my turn next, as soon as she's done hewping Sammi. Bye bye Momma! Feew better! Byee bye Daddy. Bye bye Papa. I wove you aww. Smoochies! *Mwah*" And with that the phone thumped to the floor once more.

Sammi came on a moment later. "Hi Momma. Hi Daddy. Hi Papa."

We all chorus a "Hello Sammi!", which made her giggle. I spoke up. "So how are you feeling today? Are you still sick?"

"I's aww better now Momma. Are ye sick?"

"Yeah, baby, I am. Momma has a tummy ache. But don't worry, it will go away soon. In the meantime, Daddy and Papa are taking care of me."

"Good. Momma needs hewp sometimes. Good Daddy. Good Papa."

Jack grinned. "Glad ye approve Sammi. And are ye being a good little lass for yer grandmothers?"

"Yes Daddy." She sighed. "I miss ye. Wiw ye be home soon?"

Mark chuckled. "We'll be home the day after tomorrow, baby. That's two long sleeps from now."

"Okay. I can wait that wong. I wove you! Smoochies! *Mwah* Grandma wants ta talk ta ye. Bye bye!" This time the phone didn't thump on the floor, but there was still dead air for a minute. 

I turned to Jack with a grin as we waited. "Her accent is adorable. And I have no idea why she's the only one of the girls to have one. It also seems to be a sudden thing. I wonder why."

Jack grinned back at me. "I know. It's a mystery."

Mom picked up on the other end. "[Y/N]? What's this about you being sick? The girls were all talking about it."

I sighed. "I'm okay Mom. I just had a little health scare yesterday and had to get it checked out. I had ovarian cysts rupture again. It hasn't happened in a really long time, so I forgot how bad they hurt, plus I had two at once. I promise, I'm fine. I went to the hospital and they did a full checkup. I got a few prescriptions, and I am one hundred percent healthy now. I just don't feel the greatest at the moment. Jack and Mark are keeping a close eye on me. Don't worry. How are things going?"

Mom sighed. "Of course I'm going to worry. You're my baby, just as much as the girls are yours. And things are going fine. Tiana has a slightly runny nose, but other than that the girls are all completely back to healthy. Now, you rest as much as you can, relax, and have a good time, if you can. We'll see you in a few days. Bye sweetie."

"Bye Mom. Thanks! Love ya!"

"I love you too. Bye Mark, bye Jack. Take care of her." With that, Mom disconnected the call. I sighed and leaned back into Mark. He smiled at me and rubbed my shoulders. Jack leaned against my back, resting his head on my shoulder. We all sat like this, absorbed in our own thoughts, processing everything slowly, until it was time to leave for the Grump panel. We were seated up in one of the balconies, out of the spotlight, and tried not to draw attention to ourselves, but there were a lot of us in the group. Besides Mark, Jack, and I, there was Wade and Molly, Bob and Mandy, Ken and Mary, Felix and Marzia, and Holly. Ross and Brian were on stage along with Suzy, Dan, and Arin. The panel was a lot of fun and went by far too quickly. I had about half an hour before my signing, so I dashed off to the waiting area, asking Jack to get me another smoothie for lunch. He came back a few minutes later with an enormous blueberry one and I just smiled and shook my head. I set it on the floor next to my seat after drinking some of it, and got myself ready for the signing. Jack and Mark promised to come check on me regularly, but they decided not to stay for now, heading off together. I didn't blame them. The crowd looked friendly, but the line was pretty long. I suspected the guys wanted a little time to talk together without me there as well. I hoped they weren't planning anything crazy, but I had so many other things to deal with, I had to let it go for now. 

At exactly one o'clock, my signing started. It was showtime. 

The enforcers kept the line moving and I met an incredible number of people, taking pictures, receiving gifts, and signing things. By three o'clock I was starting to get a little tired. By quarter to five, the line was dwindling down, which I was glad to see, and I was approaching the end of my strength. The signing ended at five, and I was very tired by then. Mark came over and brought me back to our base room, and I curled up into him and fell asleep for about an hour. Jack's panel was at seven, so when I woke up, we all left to go help him get ready, backstage, then find our seats in the front row. I was excited and nervous for him, but I knew he would do very well. My stomach fluttered as the house lights flickered indicating it was almost time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to break this up here, but it was getting really long and the next part, Jack's panel and the evening afterwards is probably going to be a bit long too. I felt like it would flow better to have it as two separate chapters.
> 
> And I couldn't help myself with the joke about Tiana being the frog princess. XD
> 
> Until next chapter! Smoochies! *MWAH*


	8. PAX West Adventures, Day 3, Part 2*

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack's panel and what follows...

When the lights went down, I grabbed Mark's hand, smiling at him. He grinned back and leaned over close, resting his head on my shoulder. I kissed the red floof on top and leaned into him as well, watching as Jack was announced and he bounced his way onto stage, nervous energy radiating from him. He waved to the crowd as he walked, smiling, and looking for people in the crowd who were particularly memorable or who caught his eye. Jack got to the center of the stage, where a large armchair had been placed, and he stood looking at the crowd for a few minutes, trying to get them to settle in, gently asking everyone to calm down. The crowd was rowdy and loud, but did eventually quiet down enough for Jack to start. This panel was going to be an answering questions panel, and I knew Jack had asked for a list of questions from Twitter to be ready on the digital prompter in case the audience had been too quiet or ran low on questions. Jack grinned as he looked out over the crowd, his eyes coming to rest on Mark and I eventually. When he suddenly ran over to us and jumped down off the edge of the stage, hugging the two of us, it took me by surprise, and Mark as well, based on his reaction. We both hugged Jack back of course, and when he insisted we join him on stage, we got up and Mark jumped up immediately. Jack turned to me with a smirk as I asked him where the stage steps were. His only answer was to sweep me up in his arms and hand me up to Mark, then jump up next to him. The audience cheered and hooted having heard my question and Jack grabbed both of us by the hand, making us sit in the armchair. I cuddled into Mark's lap, leaving some room next to Mark for Jack to sit if he wanted. Mark was smiling as I settled in and Jack grinned. I was not surprised when he leaned in for a kiss, but I think he was when I kissed him back with intensity. He looked a little stunned and actually tripped slightly as he stepped away, drawing audience chuckles and hoots. Then Jack actually started answering the audience questions. There were a lot of them, ranging over all sorts of topics, from our home life, the girls, the TV show, questions about Jack's channel, and people asking about Ireland and Jack's background. He only paused a little when Ireland came up, freezing in place for just a few seconds. When I saw it, I walked over quietly and hugged him, leaning into his side and pulling him in close. The crowd actually stilled and went quiet. Jack cleared his throat. "Well, actually, that's an interesting topic right now. Just this morning, I got an email about my VISA expiring. Apparently, there is some sort of problem with tha renewal, so I might have ta go back ta Ireland for a bit. The lovely lass here is already making plans and has ideas on how ta keep our family together, even if I have ta go back ta Ireland. It seems she was worried about this before, but instead of mentioning it, she started planning for things. Our daughters are all dual citizens of Ireland and tha US. The lass is eligible ta be a dual citizen as well, since she has very direct Irish roots."

I grinned and turned to the crowd, still leaned close so the mic could pick me up clearly. "My grandfather was born in Ireland. As the immigration and Naturalization Service spells out the Irish law, I am eligible to be an Irish citizen based on that alone. And the girls were all registered as Irish citizens when they were born, to make travel easier when we visit Jack's family. Mark would be able to apply because the girls are Irish citizens, although he might have to get a three month VISA first so we could establish residency in Ireland. It's in the Family Reunification Act Policy documentation." Jack blinked at me, his jaw slightly dropped. Mark made a noise behind us of surprise as well. I grinned. "I was double checking some of the details earlier today when I found the link that explained everything. There is a very helpful pdf on the Immigration site explaining all the details, and I think we could make an exceptionally strong case for Mark to stay, especially since there would be six of us who are or will be Irish citizens in the household already."

Jack shoulders slumped slightly, relief evident in his body language as he leaned into me a little more. I grinned. "Love, ye never cease ta amaze me." He leaned over and kissed me again, a sweet lingering kiss, which I returned, ignoring the hoots, hollers and cat calls from the crowd. When we separated, I gently stepped back, sitting back down in Mark's lap so Jack could continue to answer questions. Mark pulled me in close, giving me a kiss of his own. I kissed him back as well, and snuggled down into his warm presence, I twined around him, getting comfortable, and we turned our attention back to Jack, who was answering another question about the girls. The fans wanted to know why they didn't come with us. Jack grinned. "Ye try running after four toddlers who are fast, talkative, and get inta everything, and still working at tha convention." The audience laughed, making Jack relax a little more. "Seriously, tha girls stay home with Mark's mom, stepmom, and [y/n]'s mom. They volunteered ta watch the four of them before we left, and we owe them a lot. We have a great family support system, otherwise I don't know how we would find tha time ta breathe properly. Actually, I think our lovely lass over there would somehow find a way ta keep us all on track. She's good at that kind of thing." He grinned. "And now I'm rambling. Ye shouldn't ask me about family. I lose focus. Now, let's get another question." Jack indicated the next person in the crowd to take their question. 

It was a marriage proposal. Jack brought the couple up on stage to share in the moment, and the happy couple got engaged right in front of us. I hugged them both, and so did Jack and Mark. Jack grinned and asked if anyone else had any proposals planned. There were four more from around the room, and they were all brought up to the stage. All four said yes (wouldn't that have been awkward if they had said no in front of the crowd), and Jack had to pause the panel for a minute, looking out at everyone. "Ye lot are a very romantic bunch. I can't believe how many of ye plan ta surprise yer significant others at tha panels I'm on. It warms my heart ta see such love. Now," Jack stepped over to Mark and I, making me nervous. I saw Mark watching with wide eyes as well, but smiling. "I only have a few minutes up here left, so I want ta ask a very important question." Jack got down on one knee and grabbed my hand, looking up at me. I felt frozen in place, barely daring to breathe. "Love, ye make my world better, near perfect most of tha time, and I can't imagine my life without ye. I love ye so much I can't even begin ta describe it. It overwhelms me and ye surprise and amaze me everyday." He paused, noticing the tears in my eyes. He smiled, tears in his own eyes. "Will ye consider marrying me, [y/n]?"

I blinked. It was all I could do for a moment. Time seemed to slow down. I knew Jack was serious. I nodded blinking a little, not trusting my voice at the moment. Jack jumped up, hugging me, kissing me, and pulling me close. Mark had tears in his eyes as well, but he was smiling hugely, then he pulled us both in for a group hug. The lights suddenly went down on stage. The roar of the crowd was deafening as soon as I nodded. Jack, Mark, and I stayed locked together for several long minutes, until someone called out through the headset that we needed to leave the stage. Jack pulled a gorgeous sapphire engagement ring out and slipped it on my finger, kissing me again and lead us backstage so he could turn in his mic and headset. While he was taking care of that, I turned to Mark. "Mark, are you okay with this? I mean, it won't change anything, will it?"

Mark grinned. "Jack and I talked about this for a long time, practically the whole time you were at the signing. We're good. This is a solid step forward and it will help Jack's immigration case. He has at least two biological daughters and a fiancee who is pregnant. That wouldn't go over well in the world community if they deported him, and since we're all well know, it's not like it could be kept a secret. We can make sure of that. Now, calm down and enjoy this. Jack's been planning this for a while, as long as I was okay with it."

I sat down in the closest chair, hard. "This is insane. I mean, this has been the most... ...emotionally charged PAX I can imagine. Holy hell. I hope the rest of PAX is just quiet and relaxed. I don't think I can handle anything else." 

Mark grinned at me. "By the way babe, I had a proposal planned too, but Jack told me about his first. And I have a ring to give you as well. We don't have to call it an engagement ring though. It can just be a promise ring. I promise to love you until the end of time." He got down on one knee and put the ring on my finger, looking at me, smiling. "Do you promise the same?"

I leaned forward and kissed him tenderly. "Of course Mark. And we don't need it to be official. I will love you until the inevitable death of the universe and beyond. I will always be there for you, and Jack, in every way I can be." I leaned my head against his. "And we will always support each other in every way possible. All three of us."

I stood up, swaying slightly as a wave of dizziness swept over me. Mark grabbed me to help steady me. pulling me into his chest. "Easy there babe. Are you alright?"

I nodded looking into his face. "Yeah, just a little reminder that I have to get up a little slower while I'm pregnant I think. That or the babies just wanted to remind me they were there. Now, we need to talk later, all three of us about this engagement. I have a few thoughts, which might make a difference in this immigration case, no matter which way things go. But not now. Not even tonight. Hell, maybe not even for a few weeks. Let's let the dust settle a little and see how things shake out before we try to plan too much." 

Mark grinned. "Of course. Jack and I can operate by the seat of our pants a little better than you can, so planning is something we usually leave to you anyway. Let's go gather Jack up and face the music with our friends. You know they are going to mob us as soon as we walk through that door." 

I nodded, leaning into Mark for another minute. "You know, maybe we should just go directly back to the hotel. It's not like they couldn't find us if they wanted, and we could plead my pregnancy as the reason..."

Mark laughed. "Oh, that's just mean. You know they mean well, babe."

I grinned. "Yeah, but they can still be a pain in the ass. Come on, let's see what Jack has to say." I stood up straighter and grabbed Mark's hand, feeling the two new rings dig into my finger slightly, mostly because I was unaccustomed to their presence. I smiled and pulled him along, looking for Jack. It hardly took any time to find him. He was chatting with the event coordinator and smiling. I came over and gave him a huge hug, wrapping around him like a vine from behind. He grinned and laughed, excusing himself from the discussion he had been having, which sounded a lot like him getting congratulations on the engagement. I released Jack from the hug I had him in after a long moment, coming around to face him. He immediately pulled me in close, kissing me thoroughly. When he was done, I felt a little dizzy again and rested my head on his shoulder. "Whew. Sean, I love you, but I need a break for a little while. Between everything that's been going on and the actual pregnancy, my head is spinning. I need some quiet down time, soon. Mark and I were coming to find you to see what you wanted to do now."

Jack looked at me, concerned. "Love? Do ye need ta lie down?" I shook my head, stubbornly. "I think maybe we should go back ta tha hotel. Ye need ta rest. And honestly, I need some rest too. Mark, what do ye think?"

Mark blinked, looking concerned over me. "Babe, you weren't just being a brat when you suggested going back to the hotel were you? I'm sorry. I really thought you were just trying to make everyone wait."

I looked down, gently shaking my head. "I really do need to rest. It's just too much all at once. And I'm still recovering, medically, from those burst cysts. Please, let's go before I pass out on one of you. I don't think I could live that down if anyone saw. Being hauled out by ambulance yesterday was bad enough."

Both men nodded and hugged me. Mark called for a cab to come get us, and we slipped out, unnoticed, with the assistance of the convention staff. We managed to get back to our room without being spotted, and Jack and I both just collapsed on the bed. Mark smiled down at us, shaking his head. I felt my phone going off, and saw Mark and Jack reaching for theirs as well. I looked. It was Mom. I answered right away. "Hi Mom, what's up?"

"You just got engaged at a panel?!? What's going on?"

I cleared my throat. "Uh, can you get Dee and Momiplier to come over for this call? Or are they trying to get a hold of Mark? Our phones are kind of blowing up right now." 

Mom heaved a huge sigh. "Of course they are. And yes, we all tried to call you at the same time. Wait a minute, I can put you on speaker. Maybe you should do the same thing."

I looked at the guys, who immediately put their phones away, silencing them for now. "Okay, Jack, Mark, and I are here. We can talk whenever you're ready." I rolled closer to Jack while we waited. He grinned and wrapped his arms around me, resting a hand on my abdomen over where the babies were forming. I sighed contentedly and snuggled in closer. Mark came over and laid down next to me, snuggling in close as well, also putting a hand on the babies, or where they would be anyway. I closed my eyes and waited for the voices to start yelling through the phone.

Momiplier's voice was all I heard. It wasn't a yell, but a soft command. "Speak. You three have some explaining to do."

I swallowed. Mark took the lead. "Hi Mom. Um, were you watching the panel?"

"No Mark, we weren't. Now, please explain what's going on. Several people have contacted me to tell me that [y/n] is now engaged, but no one has the details."

Jack sighed. "Yeah, about that. We have some really good reasons. And don't blame her. She didn't know about any of this until I sprung it on her at my panel."

"Jack? If you have good reasons, maybe you could hare them with us, so we don't get too mad and lose our cool when we see you in a few days." That was Dee, sounding hurt and a little sad.

I closed my eyes to explain. "Listen some of this we are going to want to deal with face to face only. But one of the biggest reasons Jack did this, besides loving me, is because his VISA to stay in the US may be in jeopardy. This will buy us some time to make some decisions and see what can be done to fix the issue." 

I heard all three women on the other end go silent for a minute, clearly thinking. "Okay, that actually is a really good reason. But you said one of the reasons. Can you give us one more, just to reassure us a little more? Please?"

"All right Mom, if you insist." Mark looked at me. "Jack has been planning to propose for a while. He had a ring and everything. We had talked about it, he and I, and agreed to how this was going to go." 

I leaned into Mark, feeling the nerves he was radiating. "Sweetie, calm down." I kissed his forehead. I turned back to the phone. "Mark proposed in a different way to me, as well. The relationship isn't changing, and I have a very distinct plan. If something happens, the girls and I will go with Jack back to Ireland. Mark will come over as well, if he can, and we will apply for the Family Reunification Act waiver, which should let him immigrate without a problem. He could apply for dual citizenship like the rest of us have and we would all be able to move back and forth freely, especially if we got Jack's status straightened out. I don't want to have a wedding before this happens though, in case it would help our case more in Ireland to have Mark marry one of us officially. Basically, right now, nothing major has changed. And I got two very beautiful rings to show off." Mark looked at me surprised. I could feel Jack gripping my shoulders as well. I smiled and leaned back into him again. "I told you, I have a lot of backup plans. Some of them are more complicated than others."

Mom chuckled on the other end of the phone bringing us back down to reality. "Well, actually, that makes me feel a lot better. And I want to see these rings when you get home. You still have some serious explaining to do you know, but that's enough for now. I suspect [y/n] needs to rest after yesterday's medical issues. Take care of her boys!"

Momiplier chuckled as well. "Yes, get some rest, if you can. I suggest you just turn your phones off for the night. We'll call the hotel and asked to be patched through if there is an emergency. Mark, I'm glad you are okay with this. I was worried something had happened while you three were away and no one had told us. And I'm really glad you all communicate as well as you do."

Dee chimed in as well. "Yes, you three rest. We're all doing fine. The girls are putting their toys away before bed. We're going to go read to them and put them in bed in a few minutes. Good night dears."

We all smiled, truly relaxing for the first time in days. "Good night." We all chorused together, in sync. We grinned. I picked up my phone, turning speaker phone off. "Say goodnight to the girls for us please. And thanks for understanding."

I heard three chuckles and Mom said. "Of course. Now try to get some rest dear. We'll see you the day after tomorrow. Love you!"

"Love you too, Mom. Good night." I hung up and immediately turned my phone off. 

Mark grinned at me and picked up the phone by the bed for the room. "Hello, front desk, please. Thank you. Hello? Yes, this is Mark Fischbach, room 228. Please hold all calls for the room unless they are from the following people or phone numbers." Mark took a breath and listed our mothers numbers, the house number, Eddie's number and cell phone number, Thomas's number, and Jack's parents phone number. Then he disconnected the call. "Well, now we should have a little peace and quiet."

I smiled at him, nodding. "Mark, sweetie, can you please turn the lights off in all but the bedroom here? We can just ignore anyone who knocks on the door. I'd say unless we want some food, we should just hole up and hide from the world tonight. We can play games on our laptops and just ignore everything else."

Jack groaned next to me. "That sounds amazing love, but ye need ta eat, and so do I. Have ye even had anything since tha tiny amount of breakfast ye managed ta keep down and tha smoothie while ye did yer signing?" I blushed and shook my head. "Love ye need ta eat. It's more important than ever now that ye've got tha babies on the way."

Mark nodded. "What sounds good baby? I'll go get it. You two just stay here and hide."

I nodded, snuggling closer to Jack. "I could eat some Pho. Or some Chicken Marsala. Thanks Mark." I looked at Jack. "We should probably call your parents Jack. And maybe your brother. Or at least send them some messages."

Jack nodded and looked at the time. "Well, Ma and Pa are going ta be asleep. It's nine fifteen here now, it's quarter past five in Ireland. We best wait a bit. Same for calling my siblings. Malcolm keeps odd hours, but I doubt he's up right now. What about yer brother, Darrell? Should we call him?"

I thought about it. "It's going to be like one fifteen in the morning Jack. I doubt he's up, and I don't want to wake their household up. I'm going to call Eddie though. He's going to be excited for us." I looked at Jack for a minute. "Sean? Should we tell him about the babies too?"

Jack smiled at me. "I'll let ye decide. I'm all for telling him though, if it makes ye feel better. Eddie is pretty awesome." I nodded. Jack sighed for a second, then got up long enough to strip down out of his clothes and grab our computers. He plugged the cords in and plugged our phones in to charge. Then he laid back down and snuggled into me, wearing only his boxers. I smiled at him saucily.

"Sean, were you hoping to get lucky, babe?" He blushed a little. My grin got bigger. "Well then, that seems reasonable." I stood up slowly and stripped, putting on a little bit of a show for Jack. When I was down to just my bra and panties, I paused looking down at Jack stretched out on the bed. I swallowed, trying to get some moisture back in my mouth, which had suddenly and unexpectedly gone very dry. I slowly reached up and unsnapped my bra, one hook at a time, and shimmied it down my shoulders slowly. Jack's eyes never left my figure and his eyes got dark with lust. I smiled at him as I watched him fighting the urge to jump up and throw me on the bed. I reached down slowly and dragged my panties ever so slowly down until the were at my ankles and I slowly stepped out of them. Jack growled as he looked at me. I started to step over to the bed when the room spun unexpectedly and I crumpled, feeling faint. Jack was at my side immediately.

"Love? [Y/N], are ye okay? Stay with me lass." I blinked and grabbed Jack's shoulders. I closed my eyes. Jack swallowed down a curse. "Love, relax. I got you. Let's get ta tha bed and get ye laid down."

I nodded. "Sorry sweetie. I just got really dizzy and started feeling a little faint. I think I just overdid it today."

Jack smiled. "Thank Jaysus! I was scared ye were going ta pass out. If ye can talk ta me, it makes me feel a load better."

I held on to Jack as he carried me to the bed, gently laying me down. I didn't let go though, so I ended up pulling him down with me. "Sean, stay here with me. I will be fine in a few minutes, I promise, then we can get back into things."

Jack shook his head. "Love, not tonight. I'll snuggle with ye, but ye need ta rest."

I shook my head at him. "I need to relax. Sex will relax me more than anything else. Now, get down here. We can snuggle first, but I really want you. So rest up with me for a few minutes."

Jack grinned, shaking his head. "If ye insist, my love." I leaned up and kissed him. He growled and laid down next to me again, pulling me in close to cuddle. I giggled and wriggled, teasing him wordlessly as he settled in. Jack had gotten me revved up, and I was ready to go. As soon as Jack was settled, I rolled over on top of him peppering his face, neck, and shoulders with kisses, nipping, and licking, making Jack moan. He started to reach out to grab me, probably to slow me down or make me wait, but I just grabbed his hands, pinning them over his head with one hand while I continued to nip and tease. Jack was hard now under me, his dick twitching slightly in his boxers as I rubbed against him. When I felt it twitch again, I grinned and reached my free hand down, gently stroking him through the material of his boxers. Jack groaned, loudly, making me grin as I stopped his mouth with my own, as I reached under the band of his boxers and stroked him a few times. Jack's eyes were blown wide and he was panting, moaning, and writhing under me. I lifted my head for a minute, grinning wolfishly. Jack looked at me, soulfully and somehow full of lust and love at the same time, making me shiver. I growled, releasing his hands and reached down, pulling his boxers off slowly, trailing kisses and whisper soft touches in a trail behind those slowly lowering underwear. "[Y/N]. Oh my god. Ye're amazing."

I finished removing the boxers and tossed them on the floor next to the bed and shimmied my way back up to face Jack, rolling and wriggling a little more than was needed creating a thousand point of friction between us. As soon as I was face to face with Jack, I pulled him in for a kiss, starting slow, gentle, and sweet, but quickly heating things up. When we broke apart again, Jack was grinding on me hard, rubbing my breasts, and had somehow found just the right angle to brush against me so his very hard, very ready, large member was rocking into my clit as he rubbed against me. I could feel Jack gently trying to line up with me, without using his hands to guide things, and when he entered me, I gasped, bucking slightly at the feeling. He grinned hard and suddenly moved, flipping us on the bed so he was on top. Then he started his own exploration, and I could feel the orgasm building in me. I whimpered and moaned quietly as he nipped and sucked at my breasts, focusing a long time on them as he slowly settled inside me. They were a little more sensitive than normal and the heightened sensations were quickly making me feel overheated. I bucked wildly for a few seconds, trying to get him to move inside me, to pick up the pace, to fuck me hard, but he just shook his head. "Sean, please. I need..."

"What do ye need love?"

"I need you to move faster. I need you to fuck me. Now. Hard. Please. Oh god, please."

Jack grinned at me. "Of course love. All ye had ta do was ask me." He suddenly moved, slamming into me with a speed and force I wasn't prepared for, but which felt amazing. He set a fast, but not uncomfortable, pace, nibbling my neck and ears as he screwed me. I came, hard, and sighed his name as I did so. He grinned and kept going, chasing his own orgasm. He changed angles slightly and I felt him hit a sweet spot inside me that made me gasp and another orgasm started building, much faster than the first. When Jack came, he hit the spot one final time and sensations overwhelmed me, knocking me over the edge into a second, even more powerful orgasm. It was so strong and pleasurable, I actually passed out for a few minutes.

When I opened my eyes again, Jack was laying on top of me, staring into my face, love shining like a beacon. I leaned forward slightly and kissed him, slightly surprised to feel him still inside me. "Thank you Jack. That was incredible." I snuggled him against me, pulling him in close. "I feel a lot more relaxed. Now I'm sleepy."

Jack grinned. "Well good. Ye rest love, I clean us up and we can cuddle under tha blankets until Mark get back with tha food. Then we can eat and ye can go ta sleep. We can call yer brother tomorrow." I nodded and closed my eyes, trusting Jack to clean us up and watch over me if I fell asleep. I felt Jack pull out of me and whimpered slightly, feeling over sensitive. He pressed a kiss into my forehead and got up from the bed, heading for the bathroom. I heard the shower run for a few minutes, then I saw him come back out, a towel around his waist, a washcloth in his hand, and he headed over to me, gently and carefully cleaning me up. I relaxed against his hand and when he was done, he lifted me up and setting me on a different part of the bed, up by the pillows, stripping the blanket we had been on top of off the bed and tossing it to the side, rolled up in a ball. "Well that blanket is fair disgusting. We really made a mess there. Now, do ye want yer computer, or are ye going ta try ta sleep for a bit lass?"

I blinked sleepily. Yawning, I reached toward him. "I take my computer. I might fall asleep at it, but I want to look at Twitter and Tumblr to see what the fans are saying."

Jack grinned. "Okay. Mark and I will make sure ye wake up long enough ta eat. Now, do ye want ta put on some clothes, or sleep naked tonight?"

"Oh, naked please. And you sleep that way too." He grinned and nodded at me, taking the towel off and slipping into bed with me. I smiled and cuddled halfway into his lap, getting comfortable without making it sexual. Jack sighed with what sounded like contentment. We both booted up our computers and ventured online. Jack headed to Tumblr first and noticed we were both trending. I grinned and headed to Twitter. "Jack, babe, look. There's a hashtag the fans have started and it's the top trending topic. #KeepJackSepticEyeHere. And we are both trending, as is our ship, and Mark's with us. Wow. And a second hashtag is rising up the ranks for you too. #JackShouldBeAllowedToStay." I chuckled. "Oh my god. Look at all these posts. Wow. And another bunch of hashtags are filling up my feed. #PerfectPanelEngagement. #NailedItJack. #SayYes[Y/N]! #BeautifulPanelMoments. And half of these include pictures." I shook my head. "Poor Mark. His impromptu promise proposal wasn't caught on film and won't be discussed endless online by the fans."

Jack leaned over and kissed me gently. "Don't be too sure of that. I've already gotten a bunch of pictures of it, all hashtagged #DoesJackKnow? And someone got a video. I'm not sure how." I blinked and stared at the screen, watching the video play on Jack's computer. "Love, are ye okay?"

I looked at him blankly for a few seconds, then blinked, shaking out the mental fog trying to creep over my brain and block thought. "Sorry. Yeah, I'm okay. I'm a little shocked, but I'm okay. I think I'm done on social media for now though. I'm starting to feel like it might give me a panic attack if I keep going. I can feel the edges of panic trying to force their way into my head now. Let me just Tweet out a quick message and then I'm closing the internet on my computer for a bit. Maybe I'll play a game or log onto Skype to see whose online. Thanks for checking on me."

Jack hugged me, one armed. "Ye're my lovely bride-ta-be. Of course I'm going ta check on ye. And ye had my babies and are pregnant again, quite possibly with more of my babies. Ye're important. I'll always check on ye. Now, tweet yer message, and get out of tha Internet for a bit. I think I need ta do tha same." True to our words, we both tweeted out a quick message, thanking the fans for the love and support. Jack tweeted a second message, saying yes he knew about the scene between Mark and I, and he wholeheartedly agreed to it. He reassured the fans we were still all together and would be for as long as we could imagine. Then we both closed the Internet browsers on our computers and logged into Skype. I grinned when I saw Darrell, Eddie, and Malcolm were all online. I invited them all to a group call. They immediately accepted and Jack and I got settled on screen, covering up so we looked normal. I curled into Jack's side, then started the video call. Jack grinned at everyone. "Hello guys. Wow, most of my brothers all at once. Or soon to be brother-in-laws, and my oldest brother. How's it going?"

Malcolm grinned. "Ye sly little bastard. Ye know, ye could have warned us. My phone has been ringing off tha hook ever since that little stunt of yers. But congratulations to ye both. Where's Mark? And how does he feel about all this?"

I laughed. "Mark went to go get us some food. He's great. He gave me a promise ring, which he basically made mean the same things, so I got two beautiful rings and everyone's happy."

Darrell looked at me, smiling fondly. "Good. Now, what's this about Jack having to leave?"

We explained as best we could, and I wrapped up the explanation with this statement. "We have all the bases covered I think. If Jack has to leave, the girls and I can come with him immediately, as Irish citizens. Mark can get a temporary VISA and apply to stay based on the Family Reunification Act. Legally, there should be no basis to deny him. Then he would be eligible for dual citizenship as well. We would all be able to travel back and forth freely between countries at anytime. We're still going to work on getting Jack's dual citizenship paperwork through, even if he does have to go back to Ireland for a while."

Malcolm nodded. "That's smart. And how can ye be so sure ye can get citizenship lass?"

I grinned, looking at Darrell and Eddie. "Grampa was an Irish born citizen. He moved to the states when he was two. I did my research and under the Immigration and Naturalization Laws in Ireland, that means I am automatically eligible for citizenship. I made sure the girls all had dual citizenship when they were born, since Jack was an Irish national, in case this came up later. I'm glad I did." I sighed, snuggling into Jack a little closer. He smiled and took my hand under the blanket, resting it on my belly. I grinned. "Oh, and one other bit of news. But this one is a secret for now." All three men on the other end looked at us, concerned. "I'm pregnant again." I smiled brightly. "And it looks like twins, from what the doctor could tell. I'm about six weeks along."

Malcolm grinned, shaking his head. "Ma's going ta have kittens. Ye three are already her favorites. Now more babbies? Are ye trying ta make tha rest of us look bad Jackaboy?"

Jack blushed slightly, the tips of his ears turning red. Eddie grinned. "Good timing sis. That will make it harder to deport him, and make the government look really bad if they do. Forcing out a celebrity who has four toddlers, and a pregnant fiancee. Jeez, it will cause rioting."

I blushed. Darrell looked concerned. "Are you sure you guys can handle this? I mean with everything else that's going on..."

I nodded. "I know, I know, it's a lot. But we didn't plan it, it just happened. But we had talked about having more kids in the future, so..." I looked at Jack. "I guess the future is just sooner than we expected. But we're excited. We just found out yesterday. We told some of our friends this morning, when I got extremely nauseous at breakfast and had to leave for a while to go puke my brains out. We're going to tell Ma and Pa tomorrow, Mom, Momiplier, and Dee in person when we get home in two days, and make a channel announcement soon as well. I just hope I don't end up feeling like a whale again this time. Hopefully half the occupants will help." Jack squeezed my hand, grinning at me. I yawned mightily. 

Jack immediately turned to the other men. "Listen guys, I hate ta cut this short, but [y/n] really needs some rest. Between a health scare yesterday, being overworked here at tha con, all tha craziness today, and then my proposal, I think she's about ready ta pass out. We'll talk ta all of you soon, okay?" They all nodded and we said our goodbyes, disconnecting the call. I flopped my head back on the pillows. Jack looked at me. "Lass, close yer eyes, okay? I'm going ta take yer laptop and put it over there, on that chair. Ye just rest."

I nodded, closing my eyes. When Jack got back in the bed, I snuggled back in as close as I could, breathing in the wonderful smell that was him; rain, wet woods, baking sugar, and a hint of something else I had never been able to properly describe. It was something soothing and spicy at the same time. I closed my eyes, mostly, peeking out from under my lashes, watching Jack check his Skype messages. I saw he had dozens of them, from various friends, family, and fellow YouTubers. I stayed still and quiet letting him answer or ignore them as he would. Then I heard a sound out in the hall. I looked at Jack, but apparently he didn't hear it. I stood up, wrapping myself in a robe and headed into the bathroom, then out to the door. When I looked through the peephole, I saw it was Mark, trying to juggle the bags of food and his room key. I opened the door for him, closing it quickly and locking it, throwing the chain as well. mark raised an eyebrow. I just shrugged, leaning in and kissing him instead of speaking. Mark grinned and pulled me in closer. We were still kissing when there was a loud commotion outside the door. We looked through the peephole to see all our friends rushing down the hall towards the door. I grabbed Mark's hand, pulling him into the bedroom, having grabbed one of the bags of food after he set it down to kiss me. Jack looked up, smiling when he saw us. I held a finger up to my lips, gesturing to the hall with my head. Jack nodded and I set the food down, disrobing, and climbed back in bed with Jack. Mark blinked, grinned, and set his bag of food down, then began stripping his clothes off as well. I grinned and mouthed "Yah! Naked snuggles for all of us!"

Mark and Jack smiled and nodded. Mark brought the food over to the bed and began handing it out. He had gotten both Pho and Chicken Marsala for me, so I set the Pho aside and ate the chicken first, savoring the dish and the very delicious garlic bread that came with it. Mark had gotten Jack an order of Chicken Kiev and couscous. He had gotten himself some fettuccine Alfredo with chicken and broccoli. We all ate in companionable silence listening to the sound of our friends arguing over whether or not we were in the room, hiding, or somewhere else entirely. We stayed quiet, cuddling for the rest of the evening. I fell asleep almost as soon as I finished eating, waking up a little while later when Mark got up to put the food away, but only enough to make sure everything was okay. When Mark noticed, he leaned over and whispered for me to go back to sleep. I nodded, closed my eyes again, and was immediately back asleep. I slept until morning, not waking again for the rest of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case anyone was curious, here is the link for the Irish Immigration and Naturalization website (http://www.inis.gov.ie/en/INIS/Pages/Home) and here is the direct link to the pdf I was referring to (http://www.inis.gov.ie/en/INIS/Family%20Reunification%20Policy%20Document.pdf/Files/Family%20Reunification%20Policy%20Document.pdf). All the info I used if 100% accurate as of today's date 11/12/16. : )
> 
> See you all next chapter! Smoochies! *Mwah!*


	9. PAX West Adventures, Day 4, Part 1*

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the final day of PAX West for the year.

When I woke up in the morning, Jack was already up, showered, and out of bed, using his computer on the couch. I suspected he was reading social media, since that's usually what any of the three of us did when we had down time and weren't playing games. I yawned a little and stretched, then curled into Mark's side, cuddling into the warm body next to me, enjoying being able to just lay here for a few minutes. Mark's arm went around me suddenly, and he pulled me even closer, kissing me gently. I kissed him back. He hummed gently against me after we broke apart, making me look at him curiously. "Mark? Sweetie? What was that for? Not that I mind you kissing me, but usually you don't hum afterwards." I grinned a little, wiggling even closer and whispered "I liked it though."

Mark grinned. "I was just thinking how wonderful it was to wake up to this. You, all warm, soft, and cuddly. Jack close by. Everyone safe, happy, and nothing baut good things to look forward to today. I know we have to face our friends, and I know the fans are going to mob us, and I know eventually we are going to have to deal with the immigration department issues with Jack, but for now, I know the whole family is safe and happy. In this moment, it's enough."

I smiled into his face, nodding a little, then leaned my head on his shoulder. "Thanks for reminding me too Mark. It is enough. And even when life gets absolutely insane, which I strongly suspect the next few months might be, we do have each other. And our families. And our friends, even if they can be a little pushy sometimes." I sighed and closed my eyes again. Then the roll of familiar nausea hit. "Shit. Mark? I need you to let me go now. I really don't want to move, but I have to go throw up. Maybe we should get some of those pregnancy lollipops again. Today."

Mark nodded, let me go, and got up to help me out of bed. I appreciated it, and even with the upset stomach, the sight of my hot, naked, boyfriend was always welcome. He grinned when he saw me eyeing him appreciatively. "Well, babe, you can't be that sick if you're taking the time to look at me like that. I feel kind of dirty now though." He winked at me. "Like a piece of meat."

As soon as he said meat, my stomach lurched and I had to put a hand over my mouth to keep from vomiting on the floor. I ran for the toilet, only just making it. I threw up for several minutes, barely noticing the warm hand that suddenly held my hair back, and the other one that rubbed my shoulder, comforting me. It was Mark. After I had stopped throwing up and flushed the toilet, I sat down on the floor, still naked from the previous night, but not caring. I looked at Mark for a minute. "Sorry. The mention of meat seems to have made my stomach decide it couldn't stand to stay down any longer. God, I hate throwing up." 

Mark just rubbed my back and shoulders again. "I know babe. And I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do to help you feel better?"

I leaned back against him, thinking for a minute. Then I grinned. "Yes. Take a shower with me." Mark raised his eyebrows, looking surprised. "Hey, Jack and I had some alone time last night. You and Jack had some the other day in the shower. Now I want some one on one time." 

Mark leaned over and kissed my shoulder, the only thing he could reach to kiss at the angle I was at. "If that's what you want [y/n]. I will gladly sacrifice myself to the altar of the whims of the pregnant girlfriend."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Shut up, you doof. Before I change my mind and just call Jack in here." I was smiling at him as I said this, and got slowly to my feet, flushing the toilet again for good measure. Mark watched me intently, and I noticed he was already starting to get excited. I mentally grinned and shimmied my way over to the shower, adding a little extra wiggle to my walk as I went. He grinned and reached for me. I went willingly, leaning into his hug. He felt wonderful, and I couldn't help the little shiver of anticipation that rolled through me. Mark felt it and grinned at me, winking. Then he reached in and turned on the water for the shower. Meanwhile. I grabbed a cup of water, rinsed my mouth out a few times, then grabbed the mouthwash, doing the same thing. I felt a lot more human after that. Mark stepped into the shower, gently pulling me in with him after the temperature was perfect. I leaned forward and kissed him, gently. He returned the kiss, with more heat, his hands starting to wander all over my body. He stopped on my breasts, his thumbs playing with my nipples slightly, making me pant and my brain overheat. My own hand began to run over his body, stopping at his most sensitive spots before coming home to roost on his dick. He was hard already, hot and throbbing slightly under my touch, making me feel hotter and somehow powerful. He groaned into me when I started slowly stroking him, using the soap and water to both clean him and lube my motions. I concentrated hard on making him feel good, and before long, he was cumming in my hands. I continued to gently stroke him, after I washed the mess away, getting him ready for more. 

Mark was panting heavily now, leaning against the wall of the shower, his hands now on my hips. I looked at him. "Babe, this is amazing, but I really, really want to be inside you for round two. Come over here." I grinned and nodded, giving him a few final strokes before releasing him. He growled slightly, then pulled me over, grinding against me. I could feel his hot cock pushing at my entrance and when he entered me, I moaned, feeling overheated. He lifted me up, holding me by the hips and ass, adjusting the angle. A few seconds later he found my sweet spot, making me involuntarily groan and shudder around him. Mark held me steady and picked up a slow, gentle rhythm, but picked up speed as I started bucking into him. Before I knew it, we both were cumming. I slumped into Mark's arms, too happily exhausted to move for a moment. Mark just smiled and held me, leaning against the shower wall. I closed my eyes and wrapped my arms around him, just holding him for a few moments, until he gently set me down, making sure my feet were steady under me. Then we proceeded to wash each other and ourselves, just getting clean. When we were done, we turned the water off and stepped out of the shower. Jack was standing there, grinning and holding out enormous towels for the two of us. 

"So did ye two have fun? It certainly sounded fun from out here."

I grinned at him, wrapping up slowly in the towel. "Yeah. It was fun. And don't pout Sean. You know what happened last night while Mark was getting our food."

Jack leaned forward and kissed me. "I wasn't going ta." I raised an eyebrow at him, and he flushed a little. Suddenly, I had an inkling of what he must have been doing while he waited for us. "Oh ho. I see. Well, glad to see you had a good time too."

Mark looked at us confused for a minute, then laughed as he saw Jack blush to the roots of his hair. "Busted! Well, I can't blame you. Your hot boyfriend and super sexy fiancee were making a lot of interesting noises. I bet you just came to check on us at first, right?"

Jack looked down, biting his lip. I walked over, the towel tied tightly on, and hugged him. "You could have joined us. I definitely wouldn't have minded." 

Jack looked back up, grinning. "Ye really are something lass. I thought maybe ye'd just get embarrassed or upset if ye knew."

I laughed, a wicked glint in my eye. "Upset that my gorgeous fiancee can't keep his hand off himself when he hears me having a good time with our boyfriend? Or upset that we got caught?" I shook my head. "Jack, I really do love both of you to distraction. I'm not going to get upset if you jerk off. I might offer to help you though..." I winked at him, suddenly giggling.

Both men looked at me bemused by my sudden giggle fit. "Love, what's got ye so amused?"

I continued to giggle. "Just that right now, your name is too appropriate. Are you sure you always had that nickname, and it wasn't just given to you as a teenager?"

Jack blushed again, but laughed with Mark and I. "Love, ye know Ma has always called me that." He leaned over and kissed me. "I can't believe ye just made that joke though. Mark, yes. Ye? Not so much."

I bit my cheek to keep from laughing. My eyes sparkled with mischief. "Oh really? Hmm. You want to play some Cards Against Humanity?"

Mark laughed, hugging me from behind. "Babe, I'm so glad you're feeling back to yourself today. Maybe a little spicy, but back to normal. Now, let's go get you some clothes, feed you, and face our friends before our phones explode. I'm sure we must have a million and a half text messages and missed calls by now."

I nodded. "Okay. Clothes, yes. But then we call Jack's parents." I turned to face Mark, kissing him gently. "We talked to Malcolm, Darrell, and Eddie last night on Skype while you were out, and told them everything. Even about the babies. I think it's only fair we do the same with the rest of the family. Do you want to wait to tell our moms until we get home tomorrow?"

Mark rubbing his chin, clearly thinking. "I don't know. I mean, I know that was the plan, but if we're going to tell everybody else..."

I nodded. "Yeah. And the more people who know, the more likely someone is to let something slip. I know no one would intentionally say anything, but there are a lot of people in the mix now. Maybe we should call them after we talk to Jack's folks." 

Jack hugged us both. "Ma's going ta be thrilled. And I know she's going ta love tha fact that her granddaughters are Irish citizens. Lass, that really was a stroke of genius on ye part."

I smiled at him. "Well, if I made sure the babies were register as dual citizens from birth, we didn't have to pay extra fees. It seemed like the sensible thing to do. Plus, they can't be denied entrance to Ireland now, no matter what else happens. It also means if there were a catastrophe, they would have a place to go, even if for some reason, we couldn't go with them and they had to go to your family. I have no idea what would cause that, but I like to have as many possible backup plans in place as humanly possible. It helps keep the demons at bay." 

"That doesn't mean it was any less thoughtful, love. And ye are always sensible, at least about everything except yerself. Ye have a stubborn streak a mile wide sometimes, but Mark and I love ye anyway."

Mark grinned. "Yeah, if that's your biggest flaw, we can definitely live with it. You put up with a lot more than that with us."

Jack nodded, also grinning. "And if ye really are at least a quarter Irish, it explains so much."

I chuckled. "Then watch out. You've got two little girls that are going to learn from me how to be stubborn and two more who are going to be just as stubborn, or more so. They are after all both of our daughters, Jack. And both of you are plenty stubborn." Both men leaned over and kissed me. "I love you anyway. And I love the girls too." My hand went to my stomach. "And these little beans. Even if they are going to be just as stubborn as me." I smiled and both men immediately rested their heads on my shoulders and wrapped their arms around me, their hands coming to rest on my abdomen with mine. "But enough of this. We need to get dressed, make some calls, and get some food. Time's wasting." I gently moved both of their hands and stepped out of the group embrace, offering each of them a fast kiss, then stepped into the bedroom of the suite, getting dressed quickly in a light sweater in silver with my channel logo in the center of the back and small rings of the logos of the rest of the TV show cast around the bottom hem. Mark's and Jack's logos were also ringing the sleeves, intermixed with my logo again. I had custom made the sweater last year, and decided this would be a good day to wear it. I grabbed my most comfortable pair of blue jeans to go with it, some shoes, and was dressed in a flash. Then I stood waiting for Jack and Mark to come out of the bathroom. "Guys? What's the hold up?" I peeked around the door and blushed slightly. Mark and Jack were kissing, a deep, passion-filled kiss. I stepped back out and walked over to my phone, deciding to just let them have their moment for now. A minute later Jack stepped out of the bathroom, looking flushed and walked over to join me. I grinned saucily. "That was quick."

Jack blushed as bright as Mark's hair. "Ye saw us?" I nodded. "And ye just let us kiss?" I nodded again with a more genuine smile. "Thank ye lass."

I scooted over to Jack's side as he sat down at his laptop. I leaned into him. "Sweetie, you and Mark are definitely allowed to have time alone together, you know that. When have I ever complained about it? I just want to keep us on a decent timeline today. I would still like to go to the StarBomb performance today, if you and Mark are up to it. I'm done with my events for the con anyway after the stage takeover at two. And you and Mark are on that one too, so we can all just relax. Is there anything else you want to see this year? Do you want to slip off and see some of the games and stuff?" 

Jack hugged me. "I want ta spend tha day with my special lady. Anything ye want ta do or see is fine. And I want ye ta show off that ring, love. Let tha world see it." I grinned adjusting the rings I had still not taken off, having slept in them and showered in them. A thought occurred to me.

I called over my shoulder to Mark. "Mark? Sweetheart, would you mind if I moved the ring you gave me to the other hand? That way I can display both rings more properly."

Mark poked his head out of the bedroom, grinning. "Whatever you want babe. If you want to wear it on a chain around your neck, or on the other hand, that's fine. We all know what it means and that it's there. That's all that really matters. It's just a symbol really anyway." He moved around, thrashing slightly as he pulled his pants on. "Damn pants."

I giggled. "Mark, baby, I know how much you hate wearing pants, but I don't think the con is the place to forego them. The fangirls would cause a riot."

Mark grinned, blushing a little. "I wasn't going to leave them behind, they just keep tripping me as I try to put them on today."

Jack laughed. "Maybe they aren't the problem, Markimoo. You just have to be smarter than the fabric." I giggled into Jack's side as we watched Mark finally get the pants on properly and grab a tee shirt, one of his Markiplier's Heroes ones, and throw a flannel shirt on top. Jack raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that yer lucky flannel Mark?"

I laughed. "You already got lucky. I guess you don't need it."

Mark smiled at us. "I feel lucky today. Just want to recharge the good luck."

Jack and I smiled and shook our heads. Jack turned back to his computer, logging into Skype. His parents were online this time, and he immediately clicked the call button, connecting us to them. Ma's face came up right away. "Jack! [Y/N]! Mark! What a lovely surprise ta see ye all. What's on yer minds?"

I grinned. "Well, actually, several things have come up. Did you happen to get any emails or calls about Jack's panel last night?"

Ma shook her head. "We haven't been on tha web all mornin'. Did something happen?"

I grinned and nodded my head, holding out my hand with the ring Jack had given me, putting the ring on display. "Well yeah."

Ma's eyes got wide, and she yelled to us, astonished and happy. "Is that what I think it is? Did Jackaboy propose?" I nodded. 

Jack grinned. "She said yes too, Ma. It was amazing."

Mark leaned over, kissing my cheek. I flashed the other ring as well. "Mark gave me a ring as well. It's a promise ring. We promised to love each other forever. But that wasn't on stage." I looked at Mark, smiling brightly. "It was great. But that's not all the news we have." I sighed. "Jack is having trouble with his VISA renewal. It's not as bad as it sounds, but he might be forced to go back to Ireland. The girls and I would of course go with him right away. We will all have dual citizenship for Ireland and the US by then, so it will be easy. Mark can apply for the Family Reunification Act VISA once we're there." I looked back at Ma and Pa, who was now standing behind Ma's chair. He must have heard Ma's yell a few minutes ago. "Hi Pa. I don't know if you caught all that or not." He nodded. I smiled again. "The girls are already dual citizens, and have been since they were born. I'm eligible to get dual citizenship immediately because my grandfather was born in Ireland and was an Irish citizen his whole life, applying for dual citizenship after he moved to the US. Even if he was only two when they moved here. I plan to file the application later today if I can, just as a backup."

Jack grinned at me. "Tha lass is so smart. She researched everything a while ago, just as a precaution."

I nodded, looking down. "Yeah, I worried about this a while ago. And now I've made it so much harder for them to actually deport him. The panel and proposal went viral last night. And when we release the vlog about me being pregnant again, with twins, it's going to cause a worldwide outcry if they actually force Jack out." I grinned and looked up.

Ma and Pa were nodding, then suddenly stopped. Pa looked at me closely, and at Jack and Mark. "Lass, did ye just say what I think ye said?" I nodded. Ma squealed. Pa looked choked up. "Another babby."

Mark chuckled. "I think you missed part of her statement. There are two of them in there, at least from what the ultrasound showed the other day. She's six weeks along." I grabbed Mark's hand looking up at him, leaned over the back of the couch. He smiled at me again. "She had a little health scare and ended up in the hospital to get checked out, which is how we found out about the babies. We're all excited. Nervous, surprised, and slightly overwhelmed by everything, but excited."

I heard Ma chuckle. "That's normal. Ye're going ta have a load of challenges for tha next few months. Are ye okay, lass?"

I looked back at the screen, pulling Mark's hand down around my shoulder and snuggling into Jack's side. "Mostly. I had two ovarian cysts that burst, which was why I had to go to the hospital, but once we got it figured out, the doctors released me. I'm just supposed to relax and rest. I'm doing as much relaxing as I can, while still attending the convention, and the morning sickness has started, along with some dizziness and feeling a bit faint a few times. But I promise I'm fine. I also have two very attractive and protective assistants to tend to my every need." They both grinned at me and Jack patted my knee. I rested my head on Jack's shoulder again, looking at the screen. Pa was smiling at us. I flashed the rings at him. "Just in case you came in after I showed off these beauties. This one is from Jack, who proposed yesterday at a panel. And this one is from Mark, a promise ring." 

Pa beamed at Jack. "Good job son. That's a beauty all right." He winked at us. "And I don't mean tha ring. Good on ye. Good on ye too Mark. I'm glad ta see ye both figured this all out." We all nodded, happily. "Well, we best let ye call tha rest of tha family. We'll talk ta ye all soon. Love ye all. Bye!"

We all said our goodbyes, waving and smiling at the screen. Ma wished us goodbye as well, nearly in tears of joy. When we disconnected, I sighed, happily. Just then, Mark's cell phone buzzed. He looked down and groaned. "It's Tom."

I smiled softly. "Well, you better answer it. Put it on speaker, babe. We can all talk to him." Mark nodded, coming around the couch to sit next to me. We went through the whole explanation again, swearing him to secrecy about the babies. As we hung up from that conversation, my stomach growled loudly. 

Jack hugged me. "Love, we have ta venture out now and feed ye. Ye really need ta eat now." I nodded. We all stood up, gathering everything we needed for the day. I approached the door, a little nervously, my phone tucked in my pocket to look over later. Jack came over and grabbed my hand. We looked out the peephole, and I released a sigh of relief. Jack grinned. "Are we safe then?" I nodded.

We ventured out into the hall, with both men holding my hands. We made it all the way to the lobby before we were mobbed by friends. I knew as soon as the door opened we were stuck, because I spotted all of them, lurking around in various places in the lobby, waiting to ambush us. I groaned into Jack's shoulder. He grinned at me, squeezing my hand. Mark squeezed my other hand and whispered a comment to me. "Babe, come on. They just want to know what's going on and congratulate us. Relax. I'm sure it will be fine. I still can't believe your plan to duck them last night worked so well." I chuckled and lifted my head, feeling more able to face them. We stepped out of the elevator, still hand in hand, and Dan immediately spotted us, calling out and coming over first. The rest of our friends immediately turned to us and swarmed over as well. They pulled us out of the entrance to the elevator and nearly bodily carried us to the restaurant for breakfast. 

Dan spoke up first. "So..." We looked at him, waiting for him to continue. "Did you three plan last nights bombshell of a panel like that, or was it a more spur of the moment thing? And what does that mean for you guys as a family?"

I smiled, explaining. "Jack and Mark had talked about it a lot before. Actually, Mark had a ring for me as well, but we're calling that one a promise ring, instead of an engagement ring. And as for our family? It doesn't change anything." Drink orders were placed when the waiter came over with menus a moment later. I decided to try some waffles this morning, hoping the food would stay in my stomach and I was done throwing up for a while. I ordered some hot mint tea as well, hoping the smell of that would keep the food smells and smell of coffee, which always triggered my morning sickness in the past, at bay enough for me to make it through breakfast. 

Mary nodded from her seat next to Ken, beside Mark. "So? Can we see these rings?" I grinned and flashed them both to our friends, suddenly very glad I had them on different hands. 

Jack grinned happily as all the ladies came over to get closer looks. "I'm just relieved it went better then my last panel proposal." Mark groaned next to me.

I snickered. "Yeah, I thought about that as you were asking, but I couldn't turn you down, sweetie. Even if I did consider it for a long moment."

Jack suddenly turned to me and paled. "Ye did?"

I nodded, snuggling into him, a wicked glint of humor in my eyes. "Of course." When I saw his jaw drop and the look of panic on his face, I couldn't help chuckling, making all our friends laugh. "I aso considered jumping off the stage and crowd surfing out the door for the same amount of time. Or stripping naked and running off stage singing." 

Jack blushed and grinned. "Ye really got me there love. Although ye might have made some new fans if ye did the last. And Mark and I would have enjoyed tha view as ye left as well."

Now I blushed a little, still grinning. Felix, who was on Jack's other side, laughed as he heard this last remark. Then he winked at us. "So, did you three enjoy your night last night? Were you keeping the people in the next room up?"

I laughed. "Not unless we snored too loud. We were exhausted. And we had to explain everything to our families. We called it a night pretty early."

Felix shook his head in mock dismay. "Poor Jack. An expensive ring and you still didn't get lucky."

I laughed. "I never said that Felix." Felix raised an eyebrow. I grinned. "I could share all the details, but I doubt your friendship with Jack could handle it. Mark was out on a food run. We celebrated the engagement then, and I celebrated with Mark this morning. Now, get your mind out of the gutter." Jack and Mark were blushing hard now. Felix was too. "Well, don't ask questions or tease us unless you want slightly too honest answers. We might just tell you. God." I rolled my eyes. Most of the rest of our friends were grinning hugely, especially Dan.

"Nice." Dan grinned at Mark and Jack. "So do the two of you plan to celebrate without her? You know, alone together?" 

Mark buried his head in my shoulder, trying to hide. Jack groaned and set his head on the table, gently thumping it once or twice. I giggled. "The fangirls all hope so, I'm sure. Now behave, all of you. I can probably make any one of you squeak like a little bitch if I try and you annoy me too much. I know too many secrets and weak points for all of you. But luckily, I'm a sweet, good natured friend who doesn't exploit things. Right?"

I saw a few quick looks between our friends. Most of them nodded, warily. Ken grinned at me. "You scare the crap out of me sometimes, but yeah, you're a good natured friend. Usually. Hormones can make you a little cranky."

I laughed. "And you'll soon find out, pregnancy means a ton of hormones. I think I handle things pretty well, most of the time. Just don't mess with me." Ken shook his head still grinning.

We all settled in when the food came. Mary turned green and had to run for the bathroom, but I managed to fight through the nausea and eat my food, turning to Mark and snuggling into him after I ate all I thought I could keep down. I shifted so I could breathe in his calming scent, helping me keep the food down and drown out the other smells. By the time breakfast was over, I was more than a little ready to leave the restaurant and go somewhere quiet with no food. Jack and Mark paid our portion of the bill, grabbed my hands, helping me up, and lead me out to the lobby and then out to the waiting taxi. We rode to the con with Dan, watching everyone else sort themselves into the waiting cars as we left. Once we got there, we climbed out and headed inside, finding the room we were assigned to wait in, then gathering some costumes to go look at the new games section. We didn't stay long, heading back to the room after about two hours, mainly because I was getting worn out. It was nearly noon now anyway. With the stage takeover at two, I knew we probably needed to just stay here and wait. I grabbed my phone and started looking at the messages. I grinned when I saw some from various family members, including Jack's sisters and his brother Simon, congratulating us on the engagement. I also saw one from Vicki, from this morning. It was just a 'Call me NOW' message, so I decided to go ahead and call her. When she heard who it was she sighed with relief and let me explain everything. She promised to get legal on it right away, and keep us updated. I grinned and relayed the message to Jack and Mark, who nodded and relaxed. By one o'clock, we decided to head to the backstage area where security and the rest of the people for the stage takeover would be waiting. We hung out, waiting for time to be called, so we could go on syage, and when it was, we all three grabbed each others hands and headed out, listening to the roar of the crowd around the convention center.


	10. PAX West Adventures, Day 4, Part 2

The stage takeover area was setup to look kind of like a living room, with two couches, a number of armchairs, and a few beanbags. We were the first group there, so we asked where we should wait and were told we could actually just head right on out, and to get comfortable. We were handed headsets and battery packs to put on, which we took and assured the staff we could put them on ourselves or help each other out when we were ready. Then we crossed the room and settled in one of the large overstuffed armchairs, with Jack and Mark snuggled together and me in their lap. I had suggested one of the couches, but they overruled me and sat down, pulling me in after them. I sighed and got comfy, leaning back into them and closing my eyes, trying to let the events of the last few days just sink in or flow over me so I could focus on this event. I had no idea what we were even supposed to be doing, only that most of our friend would be joining us, as it was a collaborative event with the Grumps and our TV show cast. Actually, Danny and Arin had been asked to make a few guest appearances, and Suzy, Brian, and Ross had open ended invitations too for the show. As we sat waiting, Mark started rubbing my back, one handed, so no one approaching could see. I sighed contentedly and moved slightly into it, making him grin. Jack noticed and started gently massaging my shoulders, making me melt further into the two of them. Before I knew it, I was draped limply over their laps, practically purring like a cat, sleepily smiling. Which is of course how Dan, Arin, Suzy, Brian, and Ross found us, making me blush, the guys grin, and the Grumps laugh. 

Suzy was the one to actually comment. "Oh my god. You three look adorable. And [y/n]? You look like a cat, curled up, ready to purr and take a nap."

I blushed even brighter. "That's about how I feel, honestly. I was just thinking that too. Well, that a nap sounded good, anyway." I yawned, sitting back up, making Jack and Mark scowl and growl. "Down boys. I just want to sit up to talk. Besides, I think our event is probably starting before too long."

Dan grinned at us. "You've still got some time. We figured we'd be the first ones here. I should have known it would be you three. As long as the girls aren't making you run behind, you have the uncanny ability to be the first ones at any event. And even with four toddlers to chase down now, you're just on time, or a few minutes late. How do you do that anyway?"

Jack laughed. "Thank [y/n]. She keeps us on schedule." He patted my shoulder and left his hand there, a warm presence, just reminding me he had my back. 

Mark chuckled as well. "Yeah. First time in my life I've ever been so punctual. She does an amazing job keeping everybody on track." He rested his head against my shoulder and leaned over just enough to kiss my neck. I shivered slightly and settled back against the two men a little more, making both of them smile. "That's better babe. We promised our parents that we would look after you. It's hard to do when you're so stubborn and insist on doing everything for yourself."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, I'm in danger of being attacked by rogue assailants because I was sitting up straight. That's not what they meant and you know it. And I am letting you take care of me. That's why I suggested we go back to the hotel so early last night. I know you two weren't really all that tired, and could have hung out with our friends for a lot longer, but I wasn't up to it and you two came back with me anyway. I didn't try to tell you to go have fun without me, even though I thought you should have."

Jack wrapped an arm around my waist and hugged me, resting his head on my other shoulder. "Ye never said anything. We thought ye were just that tired." 

I shrugged. "I was and I wasn't. I was going to go back either way. I just didn't fight you coming back with me. And I made a few suggestions so all of us could be alone together for a while, if you wanted. That was all. I thought the two of you figured it out. It's also why I didn't fight you guys about the food you keep pushing on me, even though the very thought makes me want to scream, vomit, and hide."

Suzy gave me a very sympathetic look. "Is the morning sickness really that bad?"

I closed my eyes and nodded. "Yeah. I can't stand the smell of food at all. And I can barely stand the sight. This morning Mark just mentioned the word meat, and it was enough to send me running to the toilet for a good ten or twenty minutes. It was bad with the girls too, but I was hoping with fewer babies, it might be a little less intense. No luck so far though. I told the guys we need to slip off and buy some of those pregnancy drops or lollipops again today. They helped quite a bit until I got the prescription from the doctor." I opened my eyes again in time to see Suzy nodding. I grinned at her. "I can't remember. Was your morning sickness bad?"

She chuckled. "Not like yours. It was bad enough, believe me. Katie is amazing, and I would do a lot for her, but throwing up all the time for a few months was really rough. As you know."

I laughed drily. "Actually, even though I was pregnant with four babies, I only had about a month of morning sickness with them. These little beans seem to be different though. The doctors could barely see anything on the scan, but the heartbeats were strong. And they are definitely making me dizzy, lightheaded, faint, and sick. Actually, I had been feeling a little off food for a few days before the whole hospital visit happened, so I guess that was them letting me know they were in there. I was just to wrapped up in everything else, including the girls being sick, to even notice much. We just have been too busy lately for me to pay attention to anything other than what needs done to stay on track for our schedules, and taking care of the crises that arise. I need about a week of just calm, quiet, downtime just to recover and adjust to all these changes, I think." I chuckled a little to myself. "Not that it's likely to happen anytime soon. Besides, I don't think I could stand to be away from the girls for that long." 

Mark grinned. "Yeah, you practically had to be carried out for this trip as it was."

I made a face, missing Suzy's look. "Mark, you dumbass, she had four sick babies. Of course she wasn't going to want to leave, even if she knew they were in excellent hands. No mother wants to leave behind a sick child, for whatever reason, if she's as close to them as your girlfriend is to those daughters of your. Honestly." I giggled a little as Suzy crossed her arms.

Arin laughed from beside her. "It was hard to drag Suz here away from the baby too. And Katie is perfectly healthy. I bet Felix will say the same thing about Marzia. They are really good moms, so they don't want to be away from their kids." Arin hugged Suzy quickly, and pressed a kiss into her cheek. "That's why they are so lovable."

Jack grinned and kissed my temple. "One of tha many reasons." I smiled at him, happy and feeling the love. Mary, Ken, Wade, Molly, Bob, and Mandy showed up then, and conversation shifted to other things. Someone asked what we were going to do about Ken's and my birthdays, and we explained what we had planned. 

I looked over at Mary, a sudden thought crossing my mind. "You know, we might need to slightly adjust that plan. If I'm having morning sickness like I am right now, there is going to be almost no way I can cook for the group. I doubt Mary will feel up to it either. Maybe we should change the plans a little now, just so we have the time to actually plan something else. Or make a reservation somewhere."

Mary grinned at me. "Yeah. I'm definitely not going to be cooking for a while." She placed a hand on her abdomen. "This little squirt is making me all too well acquainted with every toilet here at the convention center. How are you keeping it together so well?"

I grimaced. "Uh, I hate to disillusion you, but I've been making the mad dash for the toilet every morning at the hotel, and just avoiding food as much as I can the rest of the time. Plus, I kind of learned a bunch of tricks the first time around. Smells are always a big thing for me, good or bad, so if I can cuddle into Jack or Mark, I can usually diffuse the need to throw up."

Jack grinned at me. "At yer service, dear. I did wonder why ye kept burying yer face in my neck and shoulders, ta be honest. But if it helps ye, go for it. It's not like Mark or I mind tha extra cuddles."

Mark laughed. "Yeah, I thought you were just hiding your nose from the smell of the food, not sniffing us."

I blushed. Dan laughed. "You guys leave her alone. She could be blaming the two of you for ll this you know. Instead, as usual, she's just dealing with everything as best she can." He winked at me. "You could always just borrow their clothes to wear to help with the smell thing, if they aren't around or you need some alone time. No one would blame you for kicking them out for a little while."

I chuckled. "Nah. They're fine. For now. Besides, I doubt their shirts would be long enough for me. Or, um, big enough." I blushed slightly. 

Jack caught on first and laughed. "Yeah, ye'd stretch my shirts out in odd places for me for sure. I'm not exactly big in tha chest, even if I do wear baggy shirts." My blush got brighter. Our friends laughed as well. Mark just pulled me in closer for a hug. I didn't resist. He smiled and changed the group discussion topic.

"So, what do you guys think we'll be doing today? Does anyone know?"

Felix and the rest of the group walked in just as Mark asked this. He grinned. "Actually bro, I do. We're just going to be playing some games. They have CAH and regular playing cards for us. Any thoughts?"

I grinned. "Poker?" Most of the group groaned making me giggle. "I also know the rules for Gin, Canasta, Pinochle, Bullshit, and a bunch of others. Though, I kind of think we better play either Poker or Bullshit. It would be really hard to play anything else unless were divide into teams, if we even play regular cards. Cards Against Humanities is always fun." I sighed. "I wish they had something else for us though. It seems like we always end up playing the same games on stage."

Everyone was agreeing when the event coordinator stepped out, three games in his hands. I blinked. He smiled at all of us and stepped up to the coffee table we were all sitting around. "Hi folks. Now, for today's game session, I was able to gather up a few more games than I had originally thought we'd have. So, you can chose between Cards Against Humanities, with all the expansions and bonus cards, Intervention, or Deck Around. The rules are included for all three, in case anyone wants to read them. You can all start playing anytime. The mics will go live in about five minutes, and the crowd is going to start filtering in as soon as I get get backstage. Please put the headsets on now if you haven't already. Does anyone need anything? Some bottled water, a soda, tissues?"

Several members of our group asked for drinks, myself included. Mark and Jack both snagged bottled waters as well. Felix grinned at me. "You must be psychic. I can't believe they found us more games, and they were delivered right after you made your wish."

I smiled, seeing the humor in his statement and shook my head, accepting the smoothie I had asked for. I stood up, grabbed a spare bean bag chair, dragged it over in front of Mark and Jack, put on my headset and turned it on, and settled down at their feet, leaning into their legs so I could easily reach the table, pulling the boxes for the two new games closer so I could read the play instructions and see what they were. Jack made an unhappy noise behind me, but I ignored him for the moment, perusing the directions on the box for Deck Around, which claimed to be a party game for 4-20 people. I smiled as I read the rules, knowing we could easily adapt the game for our slightly larger group. The other game, Intervention, also had potential, but would be harder to manage. I walked backstage quietly, asking the coordinator for whiteboards and dry erase markers, or failing that, some laminated paper for everyone and dry erase pens, to write answers on and at least two more to keep tally on, unless we could get a volunteer to keep the tally for us and announce it periodically. He nodded, agreeing quickly and sent one of the event volunteers off to get the box of items he had stashed for this event, but apparently forgotten to bring in. I smiled as I waited, and another thought occurred to me. "Can one of the staff or volunteers come out on stage and be the moderator for the game? They are going to be a lot more neutral than any of us, and it will make it more fun. None of the headliners will have to sit out the rounds that way either, making it a better game for the crowd to watch and more enjoyable for anyone watching it streamed. If there is an extra volunteer to sit backstage and announce the score and keep track, that would be outstanding, but if not, the extra whiteboard will work. Thanks for the assist!"

The event coordinator laughed. "You should do this job. You plan for everything. And your solutions are really good."

I laughed. "No thanks. I'm already to busy as it is. Now, I'm going to go see who wants to play what and get the rule reading started. Please send out the volunteer as soon as things are ready for us to start." He nodded and I stepped back out to my seat, getting comfy once more. I cleared my throat, making my friends all look over at me. "Okay gang, I read the rules for both games. Either one can work, if we don't want to play Cards Against Humanities. I'll read the rules for both, and we'll vote for which game to play. Sound good?"

Everyone nodded and I proceeded to do just that. "Intervention is a game where a card is read with a question and everyone writes down a vote for who in group that sounds most like. The votes are passed to the moderator. Then everyone has to try to guess how many people voted for them, with the word most, some, or none. Points go to correct guesses, with three going for every none or most and one to every some answer. We are going to have a few assistants to helps us, I think, one to moderate the games, and one to keep score and announce it periodically. Also, the moderator can pick up two cards to chose from, reading the one they think will be funnier, or sounds more interesting. There are also several variations that we can add in if we want, like throwing out the points system and just having the person with the most votes get the card, doling out punishments for getting a certain number of cards or points, like revealing an embarrassing story related to one of the cards they have received, or playing by a simple vote system and no points, and the person with the most votes has to try to convince the moderator that someone else here would be a better fit and why." I looked up and grinned. "It says that playing dirty is strongly encouraged for that version. So if we play this one, we have a few options to figure out." Most of the group was now grinning at each other, or looking mistrustfully at everyone else. "The other game is called Deck Around. Each card is held by the moderator and one of the two slang or Urban dictionary terms on it is read to the group. Just the term, mind you. We all have to write down our best guesses or funny answers and try to convince everyone else it's right. We turn all the answers over to the moderator who reads them out loud, adding in the correct answer somewhere randomly, and then we vote for the correct answer. Each answer that is voted for besides the correct answer gets a point to the person who wrote it. It's like Drawful, but with Urban Dictionary words, basically, instead of artwork. Also, anyone who guesses the right answer gets two points for that round. We'll have to decide on a winning score." I looked around to gauge everyone's reactions. "So, what do you think? I know which one I'd rather try, but I think we should all decide as a group. Maybe take a vote?"

Felix laughed. "Sure. Who did you rope into being the moderator for us? And who's keeping score?"

I chuckled. "Well, actually, con volunteers are doing that, unless someone else has a better idea." I looked around, somewhat hopefully. Then it hit me. "Maybe we should ask Mandy. Bob? Do you think she'd be willing to help us out? I suspect she might like to be included and if she's in charge of either moderating or keeping score, it would really help. And we could ask Holly as well. Ross?"

Bob and Ross both blinked at me, surprised. Bob responded first. "Uh, sure? I mean we can ask." I laughed at their startled looks, then stepped backstage again. The event coordinator was looking anxious. 

I stepped past him to where Mandy and Holly were gathering their stuff to go find audience seats. "Hey, can we get a big favor from you two? We need a scorekeeper and a moderator for our gaming session, and I asked the event coordinator for volunteers, but we were all talking on stage, and I think you two would be a better fit. For one thing, both of you are at least somewhat familiar with all of our handwriting and sense of humor. For another, you have all been involved in videos before and know how to use the microphones and won't freak out about being onstage or in front of a camera. What do you say?"

Mandy smiled and nodded right away. Holly grinned at me. "Why do I have the suspicion that you are the brains behind getting this stage event in line today. I bet Ross and Bob didn't even think to suggest us, right?"

I giggled. "Well, no, but to be fair, I thought of both of you pretty fast." Both women chuckled, shaking their heads. I headed back to the event coordinator. "Okay, we don't need the volunteers anymore, just two more headsets. Holly and Mandy are going to help. Did you get the whiteboards?" He nodded and handed me an enormous box filled with small, index card-sized whiteboards and markers. I grinned and thanked him, heading back out to the stage with Mandy and Holly, newly miked, and ready to go. I had them hand the markers and whiteboards out, noticing that all the whiteboards had black borders and we were all getting the same color markers. I turned to the group one more time before I sat down. "Okay. Time to vote. Hands up for Cards Against Humanities." About three votes. I nodded. "Okay then, hands up for Deck Around." Another five people. "And lastly, who wants to play Intervention?" A sea of hands. I grinned. "Well, that was easy. Now, we need to decide on the style of gameplay. We can vote for classic, Fast and Dirty, the one with no points, just cards being handed out, Rehab, the one where punishments are dealt out, or It Wasn't Me, the one were we play Fast and Dirty and have the option to try to convince the moderator that somebody else is a better fit." Everyone nodded, and as Mandy and Holly finished passing out the markers and whiteboards, I handed them the rules for the game, letting them read through them while we voted on the style of play. "So everybody write down which style they want to play and we'll flip them around and tally the vote after. If we have a tie, we can have a second vote, between the two winning styles. Sound like a good plan?"

Arin laughed. "Yes general, it does. Now, sit down, before you have a mutiny from your boyfriends." I turned and saw Mark and Jack were looking at me, worried and unhappy, wanting me to rest, not run the event. I smiled and nodded, settling back in my seat. Suddenly I felt all four of their arms scoop me up and settle me in their laps. I giggled a little, but didn't move away. 

We all took a moment to write down our choices, then I looked over at Holly and Mandy, who were watching everyone. "So, who's the moderator and who's keeping score?"

Mandy grinned. "I'm keeping score. Holly will moderate. And thanks for including us guys." She addressed this to the entire stage. 

Holly nodded and sat down on a stool, turned mostly away from the audience. Mandy sat down out of the way as well, a larger whiteboard balanced on her knees. Holly looked at everyone. "Okay, so let's see the results of the vote." We all flipped our boards around. Almost everyone had picked either Rehab or It Wasn't Me. Holly grinned. "Well then, let's combine the two. We'll play It Wasn't Me and for every five cards you get, you have to do a punishment. Sound good? Okay. let's go then." We all nodded, erasing our boards. Holly picked up a card. She grinned as she read it. "It's your First day of college and you are moving into your new dorm. Who would you least want to find as your dorm roommate?"

I grinned and looked around at everyone. Finally, I wrote down my answer, Jordi, or Kwebblekop. I grinned and passed my whiteboard in. When everyone had handed their answers to Holly she began to read them out and a tally was kept by Mandy, who announced Emma was the winner, or loser, depending on how you looked at it. She groaned and stood up, trying to say that Marzia would be a worse roommate because she would always have her boyfriend over. Holly listened, but in the end, it was a lost cause. All the whiteboards were erased and passed back out. Holly picked the next card. "Who is least likely to be wearing underwear right now?" 

Several of us giggled at that, and I wrote my own name down. I had realized when the card was read, I had actually forgotten my underwear this morning, at least the panties, in my hurry to get us on track this morning. I kept a straight face as I handed my board in, but Holly blinked at me when she read it to herself, raising an eyebrow at me. I kept a deadpan expression though. When she read out the answers, everyone laughed, and the votes were tallied. This time the card was headed to Suzy, but she grinned and winked, claiming she could prove she was wearing underwear. She tried to convince Holly that I should get the card instead. I was biting the inside of my cheek, trying not to laugh as Holly looked mock serious as she deliberated. Finally, she handed the card to me, which I took without a word. I swear I saw her wink when she handed me the card though. I was blushing slightly. Mark and Jack were looking at Suzy, shaking their heads. Mark spoke up. "She never forgets underwear." 

I blushed brighter than his hair. "Mark, sweetie, shut up." He looked at me, hurt. Jack raised an eyebrow at me. I avoided his look. Both men suddenly looked stunned for several seconds. Everyone on stage was watching with interest. I avoided looking at all of them.

Danny suddenly broke the silence. "Well, that's telling. Hmm. I wonder why you might be without underwear today?" Jack and Mark blushed as brightly as I was already doing, and everyone laughed, us included.

"For the love of all that's holy, Holly, please read the next card! I feel like my face is going to catch fire here." Everyone laughed again as I said this, and Holly complied. Gameplay continued, with everyone getting some cards and the entire group having a ton of fun. Eventually time was called backstage, so we turned to Mandy for the final tallies and punishments. Mandy decided on several different things for different people as punishment, and we performed our punishments or just watched, depending on how many cards we had accumulated over the course of play. I had only gotten three, so I was safe. Jack and Mark had both gotten ten, so they both had to do two rounds of punishment. Danny had gotten the most, with eighteen cards, so he had to do three, When we were done, we gathered our things up and headed off stage, laughing and joking with each other as we handed in our headsets and headed out. Everyone suggested we go out to eat as a group, making Mary and I look at each other, wincing slightly, but we all agreed to meet up at a restaurant the staff recommended in half an hour. I leaned into Mark and Jack. "Guys, let's head out early. We need to make a stop on the way, and I don't know how close the nearest pharmacy with the things I need is."

Jack nodded, hugging me close. "Whatever ye say love. Did ye have fun?" I nodded, leaning into him until he let go. Mark came forward and hugged me as well, leading me out without a word. He used an app on his phone to call an Uber, and the car was waiting by the time we managed to escape the convention. Jack had looked up the nearest drugstore with the lollipops I needed and we headed out. Jack and I waited in the car while Mark ran in and picked some up for me. I smiled and thanked him as soon as he got back, immediately grabbing one and sticking it in my mouth after giving the driver the name of the next stop. He nodded and we drove off, me snuggled into Jack's side, using the lollipop to soothe my stomach. It did wonders for me, and by the time we got to the restaurant, I wasn't feeling the nagging urge to vomit all the time anymore. I tucked the rest of the bag things Mark had gotten under my arm, stuck a few lollipops in my pocket, and got out, following Mark, who was paying the driver. As soon as we stepped away, I wrapped him in a hug. He smiled at me.

"Feeling better babe?" I nodded. Mark's smile got bigger. "Good. Now, hand me the bag. I'll tuck it in this backpack I've been carrying around the convention all weekend. We can check the bag when we get inside, Unless you think you'll need more?"

I chuckled. "I grabbed a few extra and they're in my pocket Mark. Thanks." He nodded and we stepped over to where Jack was waiting for us, then inside to wait for the party room to be available. The smell of the food was making me a little hungry, but I could see Mary was struggling not to be sick, so I walked over to her and offered one of the lollipops, explaining what they were and where to get them. She took it and sat down, curling into Ken's side. I headed back over to Mark and Jack, who were sitting close by. I sat down on Jack's lap, curling up a little. Mark had the backpack on his lap, so I couldn't sit there, so he leaned over and wrapped an arm around the two of us, pulling us over a little closer to him to cuddle. We complied, getting comfortable. I closed my eyes for a moment, and the next thing I knew, Jack was gently kissing me and telling me I needed to wake up so we could go get some food. I blinked sleepily and followed him into the room we were all going to be eating in, with two giant tables pushed together. I immediately sat down in the nearest chair, feeling a little light headed again. Mark and Jack sat on either side of me, scooting in as close as they could. I rested my head on Mark's shoulder as we looked over the menus. I found a dish that sounded appealing, ordered it and a iced tea, and settled back into Mark's side. Jack was gently rubbing my back. I felt like I could fall right back asleep. 

When the appetizers and drinks arrived, we all dug in, hungry. The sleep slowly melted away from my brain as the hunger took over. I ate slowly, making sure not to overdo it. The food pepped me up a lot. By the time the main courses arrived, I was involved in the lively conversation just as much as any of our friends. I ate about half my dish, afraid to eat more. When the waiter asked if I needed a doggy bag, I shook my head, knowing we still had Pho in the mini fridge in the hotel room, and we were leaving the next day. He also offered doggy bags to several other people, who accepted or declined as they wanted. Just before he left, clearing the plates, he asked if anyone was having dessert. Several people expressed interest, but I was done, so I just leaned back into Mark, hiding my face as the nausea returned slightly. Finally, everyone had eaten all they wanted to and we headed out, saying out good nights and goodbyes to everyone now, since our flight was a relatively early one. Then we retrieved our bag, and headed back to the hotel, opting to walk since we were only a block away. Mark and Jack both kept an arm around me the whole way. 

As soon as we got back, I headed into the bathroom, stripped my clothes off, brushed my teeth, grabbed a sleep shirt, and climbed into bed, falling asleep as soon as I was settled. I woke up to the alarm I had set the previous night on the walk home.


	11. Heading Back To LA

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to go home from PAX and face the family.

When the alarm rang on my phone, I groaned and rolled over to shut it off, only to find I was trapped between Jack and Mark, who had me cradled in their arms and were rolled tightly against my body. I was pinned in place, so I couldn't even reach the phone to turn it off. I sighed and rested my head on the pillows again, waiting for either man to wake up, turn off the alarm, and free me from the Chinese finger puzzle that was our apparent sleeping arrangement last night. While I waited, listening to the alarm grow ever louder, I assessed how I felt this morning. Dull ache in my abdomen? Yeah, but very minor and manageable. Morning sickness? Again, manageable, especially if I could get one of the lollipops in my system soon. Other complaints? Not so much. I felt pretty good, if a little tired still. Mark woke up first, slowly, after what seemed like forever. He grinned as he saw me awake. "Babe? Why didn't you shut off the alarm and wake us up?"

I struggled to move, but I was still pinned. "Because both of you managed to lock me in place overnight. I can't move at all right now. Can you please roll off me, so I can get up? I need to get to the bathroom and get one of the lollipops for my stomach. I thought I would be able to make it this morning without throwing up, but I was wrong." My stomach was churning hard now. Mark made a sympathetic face and started to move away, but Jack was locked against him. It took Mark several minutes to untangle himself from Jack, by which point I was feeling very sick. Mark jumped up and shut off the alarm, then reached down and scooped me up in his arms, carrying me into the bathroom. I whimpered a little as I was violently ill into the toilet, but Mark rubbed my back and held my hair, which was quickly becoming the pattern for our mornings lately. When I was done, I leaned against the toilet, trying to regain enough strength to get up and go get dressed. Mark stood watching me for a few moments before suddenly scooping me up again and setting me gently back on the end of the bed. 

"Babe, I'm going to take care of you today. What clothes do you want me to get for you to wear today? Any requests? Or should I just surprise you?"

I flopped backwards, taking care not to bump Jack, who was still asleep for the moment. "Whatever you want me to wear will be fine, Mark. Maybe something loose and warm is all I ask. I feel a little chilly right now."

Mark nodded and smiled, handing me a lollipop before he headed off to get my clothes. I unwrapped the lollipop and popped it in my mouth, hoping to prevent any further stomach issues. As I laid there, I looked around the room, my eyes taking everything in. When I saw the time on my travel alarm, I groaned and rolled over to Jack, gently waking him up. "Jack, sweetie, you need to get up. We have to pack to go home. Our flight is in just over three hours. Come on baby, if you hurry we can stop and get food and coffee..."

Jack groaned, sounding almost obscene. "Ugh. I don't wanna get up. Ye're here, all soft and snuggly. Can't we just stay here a bit longer?"

I smiled at him, gently shaking my head. "Sorry baby. No, we can't. And I'll still be as soft and snuggly no matter where we are. In fact, in the comfort of our house, with the girls close by, I might even be more snuggly." I leaned over closer and kissed his forehead sweetly. As I scooted back away to sit up, my stomach lurched again and I groaned.

Jack looked at me, concern on his expressive face. "Love, what is it? Yer stomach? Or cramps? Are ye okay?"

I nodded and waved the lollipop. "Mark already had to help me once. My stomach is terrible this morning. I still feel like I'm going to be sick, even with the lollipop." Jack crawled over to me, wrapping me in a hug. I leaned into his warm presence, taking comfort in his being there and the familiar feeling of his arms around me. His unique smell enveloped me as well, helping to calm my stomach. "Thanks Jack. You being here does help." Jack gave my shoulders a quick squeeze and settled in beside me, sitting in a more comfortable way.

"Then I'll stay right here for a bit. Ye need ta let us take care of ye today."

I sighed. "Mark said the same thing. I'm not arguing. Honestly, if one of you can sit with me all morning until we leave, I'll be happy. And I promise to eat something, if I think I can, too. Maybe the pho Mark got the other day?" I assessed my stomach. "I think I can handle that, if one of you two can handle reheating it for me."

Jack nodded calling Mark over. "Hey Mark, [y/n] wants to try eating the pho you got the other night for her, as breakfast. She also is willing ta be cooperative with us, letting us help her today, if one of us will stay with her all morning. Do ye want ta take turns?"

Mark grinned at me. "Thank you babe for letting us take care of you. Now, Jack, why don't you take the first turn. I'll heat the soup and pack our bags, except the clothes the two of you are going to wear today on the way home. Then, you can take care of anything else you need to do and I'll sit with her for a while." 

Jack looked at me. "Tha only thing I need ta do this morning is get some food and some coffee, but I can get that from room service in a ta go cup with a lid. Do ye need anything Mark? I'll call it in now, and we can eat when it gets here, or take turns eating, if we need ta."

I grinned. "Guys, I'm not that fragile. If you want to order some food, go ahead. If it make my stomach upset, I'll go hop in the shower and wash up while you eat, or go sit away from the food smell. I promise not to wander too far away. Maybe I'll sit on the couch with my e-book and read."

Mark sat down next to me, wrapping me in a hug. "Are you sure babe? I mean, we don't want to make you sick if we can help it. Maybe we should just order things that don't have a lot of smell. Waffles or pancakes should be fine, and some fruit. Do you want a smoothie with the soup?"

I thought about it. "Sure. If they have a blackberry and banana one, that sounds good." My stomach growled and rumbled, making me wince a little. Mark looked at me, an eyebrow raised. "How can my stomach be growling that it's hungry, rolling, and protesting the very thought of food all at the same time? Ugh!"

Mark chuckled a little and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before grabbing the soup and putting it in the microwave, then moving off to work on gathering and repacking our belongings. Jack kissed my other cheek and cuddled next to me, drawing my attention, as soon as he got back from calling room service, ordering the food. "Love, if ye need a shower, can ye wait until after we eat? I'll shower with ye, just ta make sure ye don't get dizzy or faint again. Ye really do need ta take it easy. And don't forget, we still have ta tell yer mom, and Mark's moms about these little beans." Jack put his hand over my abdomen. I sighed and rested my head on his shoulder. "Are ye sure ye got enough sleep lass? I remember how exhausted ye were with tha girls, in tha beginning, and chasing after them now is going ta make getting enough rest a lot harder this go round. If ye can, ye should sleep as much as ye can stand today before we get home. Especially this morning, or while we are on tha plane. Mark and I can take care of everything."

I looked at him, ready to deny the need for more sleep, but if I were being completely honest, I was still tired, and I knew the more tired I was the worse the nausea would be. "Alright Jack. I'll sleep on the plane ride, if I can. But I expect you and Mark to wake me up as soon as we land. And I haven't forgotten about telling our mothers. Although, this may be the final straw with Mom. It might be the one thing that makes her decide to move out here permanently. I've heard her talking to Eddie about it. She loves the girls, loves being around Eddie and Ray, and the three of us, and would love to be able to spend a lot more time with all of us. And with a possible wedding to plan, I think she's just going to jump at the the excuse to move. Or just stay with us for an extended time. Would that bug you?"

Jack smiled, shaking his head. "No. Yer Mom is awesome, and she helps with tha girls a lot, when she's around. Ta be honest, I'd really like ye ta have tha extra help and support. Mark and I can't be around all tha time, and yer Mom can keep ye in line." I made a face at him, making him laugh. "Now, let's get yer soup and see if ye can stomach any of it. No, don't move. I'll get it." He hopped up and opened the microwave, taking the carryout soup container out carefully. Jack carried it over to the coffee table next to the couch and set it down, then came over and picked me up, surprising a squeak out of me as he carried me over and sat down, settling me in his lap. "There. Are ye comfy?" I nodded, leaning into Jack's front and gently picked the spoon that Jack had grabbed up, stirring the soup a little. I took a few small bites, checking my stomach as I went, eating slowly. Jack smiled, rubbing my back absentmindedly and just enjoying the quiet with me. I ended up eating about two-thirds of the container of soup before I felt like I needed to stop, which made Jack very happy, and Mark as well, when he came over a little while later. After I finished eating, I snuggled into Jack, my face buried in his chest, and closed my eyes, not intending to do anything but rest. I fell asleep just a few moments later, not even hearing the knock of room service or the delivery of the guys food. They ate, talking quietly, taking care not to wake me. I woke up on my own when they were mostly done, stretching and yawning. 

"So-orry to have fallen asleep guys. Did your food ever get here?" I asked through sleep clouded eyes. Then I saw the plates. "Oh. I guess so. You guys go ahead and finish. Jack, do you want your lap back so you can be more comfortable as you eat?"

Jack grinned at me. "I'm perfectly good with ye right there, love. Just stay where ye are. I'm glad ye got a bit more rest. Seriously, Mark and I have been talking, and we're worried that ye have been doing too much again. Can ye please promise ta try ta cut back a bit for at least a few weeks, so we can rest easier too?"

I bit my lip and nodded. "Yeah. I'll try to cut back at work. I can't do much about cutting back at home though. The girls are still going to need as much attention as ever, and I'm not going to neglect the two of you either."

Jack kissed the tip of my nose, making me smile. "Mark and I may have a solution ta help with that. We'll see what happens later. For now, rest love. As soon as I'm done eating the last of my waffles, we're all going ta go shower. Mark waited for us too, so we can both help ye." That made me grin even wider, a saucy expression crossing my face. Jack laughed, winking at me. I leaned back into his chest and sighed happily. I felt him pick his plate back up and go back to eating. I closed my eyes again, thinking quietly until I felt Jack sigh and put his plate down. I turned my head just enough to look at him. He smiled at me. "Ye were being so quiet I thought ye had fallen back asleep love. What were ye thinking about?"

I smiled, shifting so I could see him better and at the same time, turning to face Mark. "How sweet you and Mark are being. How lucky I am to have both of you. These babies. The girls, and whether or not they are going to be happy about being big sisters. Our families. The dogs. Work. Our friends. Life in general. You know, the usual."

Mark laughed as Jack made a face. "You always forget how busy her brain is when you ask her that Jack. Her quiet, slow time, just means the wheels in her head turn faster." Mark looked at me again. "And we're just as lucky to have you as you are to have us, babe." Jack hugged me close, nodding agreement. "Now, I'm going to pull the smoothie and our coffees off the cart and put it in the hall, then I suggest we all go get in the shower. I'm almost done repacking, then we really need to get out of here and to the airport. Our flight is set to leave in about an hour and a half." I nodded and started to stand up, but Jack wasn't letting me go from the hug just yet. When he finally did, I got up, took him by the hand, and headed for the bathroom. I turned on the water and stepped in as soon as the temperature was adjusted correctly for all of us, followed closely by Jack and Mark. We all washed up, focusing on getting clean instead of fooling around since time was short. Mark finished up first and stepped out, drying off, dressing, and heading off to finish packing while Jack and I finished in the shower. I took longer than either of the men because I was washing my hair, with Jack's assistance, so by the time we finished up and were dry, Mark was poking his head around the door to tell us he was done packing and we were ready to leave. Jack finished brushing my hair with Mark's help, a task they both enjoyed immensely. When we stepped out of the bathroom, I grabbed my smoothie. Jack and Mark both grabbed all the bags before I could even turn around, so I shrugged and grabbed their coffees, and we headed down to the front desk to check out, then got in the waiting cab, and headed to the airport. We were the only people in the first class lounge when we arrived, and we settled in to wait. I handed the men back their drinks and they finished them just as the flight attendant came out to board us. I had finished my own drink in the cab on the way over, so when the men threw away the empty cups, we were all set, and before we knew it we were headed back to LA and the girls. I snuggled into Mark's side and fell asleep before the flight even took off. I only woke up when I felt Jack gently shake me. Mark's voice drifted into my sleep fogged brain. "Babe, wake up. We're in LA. We just touched down." I yawned, nodded, and sat up, but my brain felt muzzy and cloudy for some reason. 

Jack helped me up from the seat, not that I needed the assist, but I let him anyway. He wrapped an arm around me and lead me out, carry his carry on bag. Mark had his bag and mine. Then Mark volunteered to go get the car from where we had parked it, so Jack and I headed off to go find the luggage. 

I sat in the nearby seating while Jack actually hauled the bags over. Jack had insisted and I was still sleepy, so I agreed, taking out one of the anti-nausea lollipops as well. The flight had made my stomach upset again, or something in the airport was, so I was trying to combat the morning sickness as best I could without burying myself in Jack or Mark. A few minutes later, Jack came back with all our luggage on a cart and we headed off to find Mark and the car. When we were all loaded, I slid into the backseat, and Jack got in with me, surprising me. I leaned into his side as Mark drove us home, and the soothing car ride, coupled with my overtired brain and the comforting smells and presence of both men soon lulled me back to sleep. I didn't wake up again until I heard a small voice pipe "Momma stiw sick?" I opened my eyes and saw the girls peeking around the door frame of our living room at me. I was now laying out on the couch, my silver blanket draped over me. Stephanie, whose voice I had just heard, grinned and called out. "I sees her eyes opened Daddy. Momma's awake now!" Suddenly all four girls came running in and tackled me in hugs and kisses, temporarily burying me in tiny bodies. I grinned and let them, seeing five adults following close at hand to rescue me if I wanted to escape.

Dani and Steph got down first, releasing me from hugs to go back to Jack and Mark, pulling them along faster. Dani looked up at Jack. "You take care of Momma. We be good. Can we watch some cartoons?"

Jack chuckled. "Let's see how Momma feels, baby. She's still got an upset tummy and feels tired, or she did when we came home. That's why Papa carried her in and we laid her on tha couch so she could nap." Sammi and Tiana refused to let me go, snuggling my legs so I could at least sit up. 

I looked over at them with a smile. "Did you girls miss me?" I saw all four heads nodding. "I missed you too." I looked over at our moms, who were watching, faint looks of concern for me visible, but smiles on their faces as well. "I'm so glad to be home. That was the craziest convention I've ever been to." I yawned and sat up. Jack immediately sat down beside me, pulling me in close. I leaned into him and Sammi climbed into my lap, petting my hand. 

She stopped and looked at the ring on my finger when she felt it. "Momma? What's tha sparkly on yer hand?" 

I grinned. "Your Papa gave me a ring. Daddy gave me one for the other hand, too. See?" I held them out for her to admire. She took both my hands in hers and looked at them closely, admiring the rings.

"Wow. Those are very shiny rings. When did Daddy do that?"

I looked at Jack, who was grinning at Sammi. "I had ta stand up on stage and do my job. While I was doing that, I brought yer Momma and Papa up with me and I asked yer Momma a very special question. When she said yes, she got tha ring."

Sammi blinked. "What question was that Daddy? Did ye ask Papa too?" 

I grinned, shaking my head. "No baby. He just asked me. He asked me to marry him. Papa asked me to promise to love him forever too. But he waited until we were off the stage to ask." 

Tiana had slipped over to look at the rings as well. "Did you say yes, Momma?"

"Of course, Tiana. I love both your daddies. Now, why don't you go play for a little while. Momma wants to talk to your grandmas and just rest quietly for a little while. Can you do that for me? I promise to stay right here, so you can come check on me if you want."

Ti and Sammi immediately dashed off, headed for the nursery. Dani and Steph came over to look at the rings for a minute then followed their sisters. The room fell silent and Mark came over and sat down next to me, swinging my legs up into his lap, rubbing my feet. Jack made me lean into his lap, and he started rubbing my head. I sighed and closed my eyes, waiting for Mom, Momiplier, or Dee to start asking questions. I had a very short wait. Mom started first. "So, engaged huh? Can we come admire the rings?"

I grinned without opening my eyes and held my hands in the air. I heard all three women come over behind the couch. Dee giggled. "Oh, boys, you both did an excellent job with those rings. They are gorgeous." I opened my eyes, looking at the happy faces above and behind me. Mom grabbed my hands, holding them so she could see a little better and get better light for them. Dee slipped over behind Mark's far shoulder and kissed his cheek. "I'm proud of you, Mark. This was a big step."

Momiplier was beaming at him as well. She stepped over, kissed his other cheek, then slid over and kissed Jack's cheek. "I have a small confession. After you called the other night, we looked it up online. And it was beautiful. Mark, baby, did you know someone caught your proposal too? We actually watched them both. I'm so proud of both of you. And you clearly worked it out ahead of time." The two men grinned at each other and nodded. Momiplier looked at me. "So, Ms promised-to-love-my-son-forever, how are you felling? Other than needing to rest a few more days, I mean. You look exhausted."

I chuckled, taking my hands back from Mom and sitting up a little, despite Jack's protests. "I am exhausted. Between the two ovarians cysts bursting, all my panels, signings, and events, Mark's and Jack's events, the proposal, and finding out about Jack's VISA issues, I feel worn out. Plus, there was one more thing, but we wanted to tell you in person for this one."

Mom immediate came around from the other side of the couch and sat on the edge of the coffee table, right in front of me. "Are you sick? Was it more than ovarian cysts? Baby, what's going on?"

Momiplier and Dee sat on the arms of the couch, looking worried too. Jack leaned over and kissed me, softly, and made me lay back again. "Ye're worrying them all now. Just lay back and tell them and stop stalling."

I blushed a little at the mild admonishment. "Sorry. I'm not trying to cause distress. Actually, it's good news, I think." I swallowed for a second. "I'm pregnant again." All three women looked stunned for a moment, then got up and hugged all three of us. 

Mom kissed my forehead as well. "Is the baby safe, even though you had the cysts burst? I mean, did everything check out okay?"

I nodded. "That's actually how we found out. And it looks like more than one again. Probably twins from what we could see in the ultrasound, but it was so early it was hard to see anything. The doctors thought I was probably about six weeks along, so I have to schedule a follow up as soon as I can with my OB/GYN. And the morning sickness is bad too. I'm already mildly anemic again, but I've started the iron supplements the doctors recommended already as well. But food and I are not getting along at the moment at all." I grimaced. "I think it might actually be worse than when I was expecting the girls. At least this time I know a few tricks to help. And I don't have the heart issues to contend with as well. That was what really sucked last time."

Jack stroked my hair. "Ye're a lot stronger and healthier this time around love. And Mark and I are still here ta help. Ye are doing great about letting us so far."

I smiled weakly. "I feel like crap. It's easier to let people help me when I feel this bad." I sighed. "At least I know it's only temporary." I smiled a little brighter. "And I have a pregnancy buddy this time around. Mary, Ken's wife, announced she was having a baby right before we found out, and she's about two weeks further along than I am, she thinks. She's having some bad morning sickness too."

Mom looked at the three of us and crossed her arms. "Well, that cliches it. I'm staying for a while. There's nothing urgent at home that I need to attend to. I'll call one of your aunts, have them stop the mail for a while and go water my plants once a week or so. I know you guys have the room, and with you being pregnant, and two weddings to plan, I'm not going anywhere. Eddie and Ray came by this morning and told me they finally picked a date. How about you, dear? Any ideas?"

I groaned. "Mom! Come on, I haven't had the time to breathe yet. How could I have picked a date? And besides, I'm holding off a little bit, until we see how this thing with Jack's VISA goes. If he does get deported, having a way to get Mark over to Ireland fast might be better than rushing a wedding with Jack. We all know how we feel and how things stand, so the piece of paper isn't that important at the moment."

Momiplier nodded sagely. "Smart. And the very threat of the government deporting a man who's as well known as Jack is would be a thorny problem to start. Adding a pregnant fiancee, who's also well known on the Internet and TV, and four toddlers, at least two of whom are biologically his, makes it even more of an issue. But it's always smart to plan backups. I'm glad to hear you have plans on how to get Mark to come with you if it comes to that. We would miss you all, of course, but I understand needing and wanting to kee the family together until something permanent can be worked out. We watched that part of the panel too." I blushed slightly. 

Dee grinned at me. "Why do I think you somehow have even more plans that you just aren't ready to share yet, if things get crazy?"

I laughed. "Because I do. But that's plan Z. We're still on plans A and B. I just like to be prepared for anything and everything I can be. That's why I researched getting Irish citizenship for myself after I found out I was pregnant with the girls. And why I registered all of them as Irish citizens at birth. Dual citizenship when one parent is an Irish national is easy and free if done then. I have some paperwork to fill out and a small fee to pay for my dual citizenship, but I plan on doing that from work first thing when we go back. I can have the legal department take care of filing everything for me. And the fee can come directly out of my paycheck, making things a lot easier. But enough about that. How did the girls behave while we were gone? Were they good, or did they give you a lot of trouble?"

Dee grinned. "They were good. Actually, they hardly fought at all. They kept asking when you were coming home, and if Momma was going to still be sick. I think Sammi and Tiana were the most worried about you, [y/n]. Dani kept asking about you Jack. And Stephanie cried for Papa the last two nights. I'm not sure what any of that was about." Dee looked at us. "Can you stand it if I stay a while longer too? I mean, I don't want to step on any toes, but if I can stay and help, it would be great. Nothing at home can't wait, or have someone else tend to it for a few weeks."

Mark smiled and nodded. "We'd love to have you stay Dee." She relaxed visibly. 

I looked at Momiplier. "You're welcome to stay too, if you want, or to head home whenever you need. I know you have dogs and other things you have to tend to at home."

Momiplier grinned. "Tom's taking care of everything. I told him before I came out I might just extend my stay a while. He just asked that I call and tell him how long, so he can make sure everything is ready when I do go home." I smiled and nodded, then turned green. 

Jack recognized the look. "Love? Do ye need help getting ta tha bathroom in time?" I nodded again, tears in my eyes. He scooped me up and carried me to our bathroom where I threw up again for a solid twenty minutes. Sammi came in, saw me, and sat down next to me, stroking a hand down my shoulder.

"Momma be okay. Daddy and I's here ta make ye feew better." When I was finally able to sit back, Sammi stood up, flushed the toilet, and hugged me. "Is ye feewing any better now?"

I leaned back into Jack's arms. "Thank you Daddy. Thank you Sammi. I'm okay for now. Sam, why don't you go play with your sisters. Daddy can take care of me." She looked a little unsure, but stood up, flushed the toilet again, and toddled off. Jack was stroking my hair with one hand, his other wrapped around me. I felt his lips press on my hair. After ten minutes of not throwing up, I looked at Jack. "Come on Sean. I think I should be able to go back to the couch again, at least for a while. Maybe we should grab a bucket though, just in case."

Jack nodded and reached under the sick, grabbing one of our 'sick buckets', really just clean dishpans that we kept around for when someone was throwing up, and had labeled them for that very purpose, Jack helped me stand up, and I felt my stomach lurch again, but thankfully nothing else, and we walked slowly back to the couch, where I immediately curled up under the covers, in a tight ball. Jack settled down next to me again, once more putting my head in his lap so he could massage my head. Mark shook his head and picked me up, settling me down in his lap when he sat down, then started massaging my back. I sighed and relaxed a little. Our mom's smiled and slipped out, two to the kitchen and one to go watch the girls. And so the afternoon passed. Mark or Jack had to help me to the bathroom three more times to go throw up, but other than that, we barely moved. I napped as much as I could. The girls came out to check on us periodically, as though we might disappear if they didn't. When dinner was ready, I sent Jack and Mark in to go eat with our mothers and the girls. I just laid on the couch, a cloth on my face, trying not to be sick and to go back to sleep. I must have succeeded because the next thing I knew it was the middle of the night, I was tucked into bed with Jack and Mark, and I was in a nightgown I had no memory of putting on. I smiled, looked at my two men, and settled back into a deep, dreamless sleep, happy for the moment.


	12. A Quiet Day?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and the guys have a rare day of downtime. How will you spend it?

Mark and Jack both were up and gone when I woke up the next morning, even though I was the first one asleep. I just laid there for several minutes, battling my stomach. It was a hopeless cause, and I had to make a mad dash to the bathroom only a few minutes later. I was sick for at least ten minutes, throwing up bile and dry heaving when there was nothing left to throw up. I felt awful, but as the nausea past, I started to feel a little better. When I was able to sit back, away from the toilet, I saw two sets of concerned eyes peeking around the door at me, one little pair of bright blue, and one bigger set of the same color. I leaned my head against the wall. "You two can come in. I'm done for now. I'm okay, really. Waking up is just bad." 

Sammi came running in and carefully hugged me. "I sorry ye's sick Momma. Ye should go ta tha doctor with Papa. Doctor's make ye aw better."

Jack chuckled and followed Sammi in, holding a half asleep Dani in his arms. Dani looked at me, sadness in her eyes. "Sammi's right, Momma. It bad when you's sick."

Jack set Dani down and reached over to me, gently pulling my hair back. "Love, tha girls aren't wrong. Call tha doctor and see when she can get ye in. Ye shouldn't be this sick, and I think ye know it. And ye really need ta try ta eat something today. It's not good for ye ta skip this many meals. Ye'll end up in tha hospital. And ye really need ta take care of yerself right now. Please?" All three sets of eyes watched me, looking for me to say yes, that they were right, or react. Instead I had to dive for the toilet, dry heaving again for several minutes. Sammi and Dani both came over, holding my hair and rubbing my back, gently. Dani also reached up and flushed the toilet after I was done, a sweet gesture. Jack was frowning. He lifted me up, carrying me out of the bathroom as though I weighed nothing at all, settling me on the couch under my blanket with the sick bucket close by. Sammi and Dani had followed and immediately curled up next to me, patting me, just trying to make me feel better. I leaned my head back and groaned. Jack sat down next to me, making Sammi immediate climb into his lap instead, and he scooted in close, wrapping and arm around my shoulders. "Love, are ye alright?"

I curled into his warmth, feeling tired, cold, and sick. "Not really. I feel pretty awful."

Jack kissed my forehead. "Well, lean on me. I'll call tha doctor for ye in a bit. In tha meantime, ye just relax inta me."

I nodded, closing my eyes, breathing in his calming scent, listening to our normal household activities. I could hear Mark in the nursery with Tiana and Stephanie, playing. From the sounds of it, it sounded like they were having a tea party. Dani was singing quietly to me and her stuffed dog, which had been on the couch and she was now playing with after she crawled into my lap. Sammi was just snuggling Jack and I, looking back and forth, smiling. I heard voices in the kitchen, Mom and Dee, it sounded like, talking quietly. I wasn't sure, but it sounded like Momiplier might be in the kitchen as well, moving around, probably cooking. I relaxed, resting one hand on Jack's chest, and one hand on Dani's back. I'm not sure how long we sat like this, but it felt nice, to just have some quiet time, as a family, without chaos and confusion crashing in around us. I heard my cell phone ring behind me and sighed, sitting up to reach back and answer it. Jack frowned. It was Vicki. 

"Hey, [y/n], I know you and the guys won't be back until tomorrow, but I just wanted to give you a heads up. Legal is on Jack's VISA and they may be calling later with some questions."

"Thanks Vicki. Anything they can do would be a big help."

Vicki chuckled. "Well, somehow the thought of Jack being gone from the show lit a fire under them. He's quite popular."

I smiled crookedly. "Yeah. And the thought of having Mark and I gone as well probably had nothing to do with it."

Vicki went absolutely silent for a long moment. "You'd all be gone too?"

I sighed. "Of course, Vicki. We're not splitting the family up. What did you think would happen? We'd just let Jack be hauled away without fighting to stay together? Did you watch his panel, at all?"

I heard Vicki swallow. "No. Should I have?"

I could feel the blush rising. "Yeah, you might want to. And have legal watch it too. Some things may have changed for their research."

Vicki sighed. "Can't you just tell me?"

"Watch the video. Trust me. It won't take that long. Oh, and I have paperwork I need legal to file for me later. They can call me sometime this afternoon to discuss it more, but I have to go now."

Vicki sounded suspicious. "Why? What's going on?"

I felt another waved of nausea roll over me, and I dived for the sick bucket, dry heaving again. Jack had caught my phone as it fell from my hand, picking it up to talk to Vicki. "Hi. This is Jack. Listen Vicki, she's going ta have ta talk ta ye later. [Y/N] is sick right now. Like really sick. Thanks for calling though." I heard Vicki say something through the phone, but couldn't make it out. Jack grinned. "Nope. She's right. Ye need ta watch tha panel video. Listen, I have ta go help her. We'll see ye soon." He hung up, still smiling. "Now, love, what paperwork did ye need legal ta file?"

I had stopped heaving and was leaned into Jack's side again. "My dual citizenship application. The sooner it's in, the better I'll feel about everything." Jack's smile brightened. I Looked at Sammi and Dani who were watching the two of us closely. "Girls, I think your sisters and Papa are having a tea party. Why don't you go join them?"

Dani smiled, gave me one last pat on the leg and ran off, trailing her dog toy. Sammi looked at me, stubbornly. "No. I stay. Ye and Daddy need someone ta watch out for ye. I do it. And if ye need hewp, I go get tha Grandmas." She crossed her arms, daring us to argue. I smiled, shaking my head slightly. She frowned , looking quite fierce for a one and a half year old.

"All right baby. Daddy and I won't force you to go play with your sisters. We just thought it might be more fun."

She raised an eyebrow, making me bite my cheek to keep from laughing. She looked exactly like I did when I was being my most stubborn, except for the eye color and her hair. Jack chuckled quietly. Both of us looked at him and I unconsciously raised an eyebrow as well. He started laughing harder. I sat up and crossed my arms as well. Sammi looked very grumpy. "Are ye waughing at me Daddy? Or are ye waughing at Momma?" He was laughing so hard now he fell over sideways away from me. Just then, Mom walked in. Sammi was still glaring at Jack. 

Mom walked over behind the couch, a small smile on her face. "My goodness, you ladies look quite fierce here. What's going on?"

"Daddy's waughing at me. Or Momma." Sammi pointed, still frowning. Jack was still laughing, but was now struggling to breathe a little. I made a sound rather like a 'Hrmph!' which made him burst into further gales of laughter. 

Mom came over and leaned close to him, whispering something I couldn't quite hear, then she lifted Sammi out of his lap and sat down in the chair next to the couch, cuddling her close. Sammi hugged her, then glared at Jack again, sticking out her tongue. Jack struggled to get under control for a few seconds, then finally gathered himself and sat up, looking sheepish. "Sorry love. Sorry little love. I just couldn't help it. Ye both looked so stubborn and had identical expressions on yer faces." 

Sammi and I looked at each other for a minute, then both of us looked back at Jack. I shook my head and leaned over, whispering to him, "You still shouldn't laugh at your fiancee who's currently pregnant. Laughing at the pregnant lady is never smart. Especially when she can't stop throwing up because of the pregnancy."

Jack's eyes widened for a second, then he looked very apologetic. "Oh, lass, I hadn't even thought of that. I really am sorry."

Mom winked at me. "Good to see you can still keep him in line. Now, Sammi, what do you want to do today?"

Sammi pointed at me. "Make sure Momma feews better. That's what I just towd Daddy and Momma when he started waughig at us." She shook her head at Jack. "Daddy being mean." 

Mom stroked her hair. "Sammi, sweetie, why don't we go play with your sisters and let Nana and Grammy help Daddy take care of her?"

Sammi looked torn. "Momma said I shouwd go pway too. Don't ye want my hewp?"

I smiled at her. "Sammi, love, I've got lots of help. And I feel better knowing you and your sisters are happy. Momma's going to be okay, but she's going to be sick a lot for a little while." I sighed and looked at Mom. "Can you go get Mark and the rest of the girls? I think we better explain this to them now." Mom nodded, smiling, and carried Sammi off to the nursery for a few seconds before returning with all four girls and Mark. He looked worried and came over, sitting next to me right away. Mom settled back in the chair she had just been in, Sam still in her arms and Tiana came over and crawled in her lap as well. Dani and Steph came over and climbed in Jack's and Mark's laps. I waited a few seconds, just until everyone looked comfortable again, then looked at our daughters. "Girls, Momma, Papa, and Daddy have something to talk to you all about." All four of them looked at us, with expressions ranging from curious to worried. "Now, to start, none of you are in any trouble. There may be some big changes coming to our household soon, and we just want to make sure you know we still love each other and you. Daddy is from another country, Ireland, just like Granny and Grampa." The girls nodded.

Jack smiled at me and leaned over to whisper in my ear. "Ye're starting there?" I smiled at him and nodded. "Okay." Jack turned back to the rest of the room. "Momma and Papa are from tha US. Since I'm not, I have ta have special paperwork so I can stay here all tha time. Well somewhere along tha way there was a mistake and now Daddy might have ta go back ta Ireland for a little while. Momma has been working hard ta make sure that I don't have ta, but it might happen anyway. If it does, all of us might go and visit Granny and Grampa for a little while." I nodded. The girls looked at each other and then back at us, waiting for us to go on. 

I smiled. "I have it all set girls, so don't worry. You and I can all go for as long as we need to. No one can kick us out. I'm also working on making sure Papa can come over and stay if that happens." 

Mark smiled and leaned on me. "Yeah. So don't worry, we will all be able to stay together, except for maybe a very short time when Momma and Daddy would be with the four of you and I would have to wait, or maybe Momma and I would be with the four of you and Daddy would have to wait, but that would only be for a little while. I promise." The girls nodded, smiling. "But we have some other things to tell you as well." Mark grabbed my hand, holding my ring up for them to see. "Momma is going to marry Daddy. She and I promised to love each other forever as well." I held up the other ring. All four girls came running over to look, clearly not remembering the conversation yesterday, or not understanding. They were grinning and oohing and aahing like crazy, making us smile. Jack twined his fingers through the hand on his side, taking care not to cover the ring up while the girls looked, leaning on my shoulder as well.

I looked at the girls as they giggled and settled back into seats. "Do you girls know what that means? We're going to have a big party With all our friends and family, but not for a little while. Also, we have one more thing to tell you." I sighed and scooted closer to Jack, making Mark slide over as well. "You girls know how Momma's sick right now?" All four heads nodded. "Well, Momma's going to be sick for a while. It's nothing serious. In fact it's a good thing. You girls are going to be big sisters in a while." I moved the hand Mark had been holding over my stomach. "We're going to have some babies."

Stephanie looked at me and asked the first question. "Babies? Are they boy babies or girw babies?"

I smiled. "We don't know yet. The babies are too tiny to tell. They have to grow some more before anyone knows. Right now they are just teeny tiny little dots in Momma's tummy, but they are growing a lot. But they are going to make me sick for a while and very tired until they get here."

Tiana came over and put her hand on my knee, looking up at me. "Where are they now Momma?"

I took her hand, putting it on my belly. "They are right here, in my tummy. Momma, Papa, and Daddy just found out they were here a few days ago. That means they won't be here for a long, long time though. You girls will all have a birthday before they come along, probably."

Dani blinked. "Wow. That's a so far away! Why are they going ta take so long Momma?"

Mark grinned and put his hand over mine, rubbing gently. "Babies need a long time to grow before they can survive outside of Momma's protection. Your Uncle Ken and Aunt Mary are going to have a baby around the same time. That means you have to be a little more gentle with Momma and Aunt Mary though. And they need to rest more, to help the babies grow big and strong."

Jack nodded. "Yes. Now, that doesn't mean Momma can't do things for us, just that sometimes she has ta do them in a different way, or has ta say no ta some things. And for right now, that means food is making Momma sick, so tha grandma's are going ta be cooking. And Momma's going ta have more doctor's visits than usual."

I grinned. "And Momma's going to look different soon. My tummy is going to get really, really big. I might look like I swallowed a watermelon, or maybe even bigger. I might be cranky too." I looked a little ruefully at Jack and Mark. "I'll try to be as normal as I can be, but it's hard on me, and I'm going to be feeling not so good for a while. I'm going to need to take more naps. And I might need to ask for more help. Please try to be patient with me." I looked down, then half smiled. "The babies will be worth it. Maybe not so much at first, when all they can do is cry, sleep, eat, and poop, but that stage doesn't last long. You girls will have to help teach them how to behave later. And how to do things."

Sammi, who had been uncharacteristically quiet until now, looked at Mom. "Grandma?"

Mom smiled at her. "Yes sweetie?"

"Will ye wove us just as much as tha new babies?"

All the adults in the room blinked in surprise. "Of course, Sammi! You girls aren't being replaced. Do you think Papa loved Chica any less when Momma got Steve for him?"

All four girls smiled and relaxed, shaking their heads. Dani grinned and looked at Mark. "Nope. Papa woves Chica-bica a wot." She looked around. "Can I go pway with her? Pwease?"

Mark smiled and got up, nodding, and took her hand, leading her out to the dog's play area in the yards. Stephanie grinned and ran after them, calling out as she went "Wait for me! I wanna pway with Steve! Puppy time!" 

Tiana looked at Momiplier. "Nana? Can we go in tha kitchen and cook? I wanna wearn how, so I can hewp Momma more. Pwease?"

Momiplier laughed. "Maybe in a little while. You can help me make lunch when it's time, how does that sound?" Ti nodded and snuggled into her grandmother's lap. 

Sammi was still snuggling Mom. "Grandma, wet's go read a story. Pwease? I'w even wet you pick tha book..." Mom chuckled and got up, taking Sam into the nursery. Tiana looked at Momiplier for a minute, then looked in the direction her sister had just gone, clearly torn. Momiplier smiled and got up, carrying Tiana off as well to go read for a bit. 

I closed my eyes, taking in the calm and quiet, relaxing. I was glad the girls seemed okay with all the news. I doubted they understood everything, but we had told them, knowing that if something was said now, they wouldn't be scared or worried, at least I hoped they wouldn't. Jack wrapped his arms around me, kissing my hair. "Are ye feeling any better than when ye first got up, love? Or do I need ta call Dr Sara for an emergency appointment?"

I smiled a little sleepily at at him. "I still feel sick, but I can manage it now. We should still call her and set up an appointment as soon as we can, but it doesn't have to be today or even the next few days. But right now, I think I need to try to eat something and maybe take a nap. I'm still really tired." 

Jack smiled at me, lifting my face to look at him. "Ye just rest here lass. I'll go fetch ye some food. How about some toast with jam and a smoothie? Think ye can handle that?"

"Sounds perfect sweetie. I'll just curl up here." I yawned. "Thank you."

Jack gave me a kiss and got up, helping me lay back and readjusting the blanket. I snuggled into the couch cushions and closed my eyes. I heard Jack head into the kitchen, then moving around. I sighed a happy sigh. Life was pretty good. Jack came back a few minutes later with my food. He sat me up, settled in behind me, and laid me across his lap, cradled into him. I snuggled with him as I ate slowly, taking tiny bites and sips, to help combat stomach issues. I managed to eat both slices of toast and drink the entire smoothie down. Jack was beaming at me now, rubbing my back. "Good job love. Ye've been worrying Mark and I, not eating near enough. If ye can, I still want ye ta try ta eat some lunch later, but at least now ye have something in yer belly. Now, I think ye need ta just cuddle with me and take a nap if ye can, while things are quiet. Sound good?"

"Sounds perfect." I shifted slightly and found myself laying down again, this time in Jack's lap. He massaged my head and scalp humming softly as I fell asleep. When I woke up, it was to Dani giggling. Jack was gently snoring above me. I smiled faintly. He and Mark had been so stressed, I wasn't surprised he had fallen asleep too. I looked over and saw Dani and Steph peeking around the door frame, giggling. I raised an eyebrow and put a finger to my lips, pointing at Jack and whispered loud enough for them to hear me. "Shh. Daddy's asleep. What are you two up to now?"

Dani came over and whispered right near my ear, as quietly as she could, "Papa got tired too. He asked us ta come find Daddy ta play with, but we didn't want ta wake either of ye up."

I smiled and whispered back "Good girls. Now, I know your sisters are in the nursery reading with Nana and Grandma, but you could look for Grammy to play with if you don't want stories. Or see if Nana or Grandma want to play instead of reading."

Dani nodded. "Okay Momma. Ye can go back ta sleep." She kissed my cheek and ran back over to Stephanie, whispering and leading her to the nursery. I grinned and closed my eyes again, almost falling back asleep before Mark came in and groaned when he saw Jack was asleep behind me. I opened my eyes and looked at him. He blushed and came over to kiss me.

"Sorry babe. I was hoping for a nap myself." Mark whispered this to me as he pulled away from the kiss.

I nodded and whispered my answer back, listening to Jack's gentle snores continue. "It's fine. Jack and I won't mind if you join us. Our Moms have the girls. I believe it's story time, unless they have already moved on to the next activity. Dee wasn't playing with anyone earlier, but I suspect she is now. Have a seat sweetheart. I know you and Jack have been under as much pressure as I have." 

Mark shook his head, smiling and lifted my feet and legs, snuggling in under me, next to Jack, who shifted slightly in his sleep and leaned on Mark's shoulder. Mark grinned and kissed the tip of Jack's nose, softly. I smiled as I watched. Mark looked back at me and whispered "You have had physical stresses we haven't. Now, back to sleep, if you can babe. The babies need you in peak condition to grow." I nodded and obediently closed my eyes, but didn't actually fall back asleep until I heard Mark's gentle snores as a counterpoint to Jack's. When I knew they were both sleeping, I was able to slip back into slumber, knowing everything was right in our corner of the world.

We napped until lunch, which Mom gently woke us for. I sat up, but was feeling too sick to eat, so I grabbed one of my lollipops for my stomach and curled into Mark's side. After he and Jack finished eating and food was gone, I relaxed, facing the room again. Mom looked concerned, but didn't say anything. Jack told everyone I had managed to eat some toast and drink a smoothie earlier, making our mothers look a little less concerned, but not much. The girls ate their sandwiches, watching cartoons, a rare treat, ignoring us. When the dogs started barking, Jack got up to go see what the commotion was about. When he came back, he was followed by Eddie, Ray, and Danny. Danny grinned at all of us. The girls looked up, squealed and buried Dan in hugs, then moved on to Eddie and Ray. I smiled at them all. Dan looked at the three of us as Jack sat back down next to me, snuggling back into my side. "So, are you being smart today, [y/n], and hiding from the world?"

I laughed. "Well, I'm just trying to keep my stomach in place and napping today, so yeah, I guess you could say that. Were you just dropping in to check up on me?"

Dan nodded, his grin not fading one bit. "You bet. And to see if I could play with my favorite tiny princesses."

Sam grabbed him by one hand and Tiana by the other and they dragged him to the beanbag chair he usually sat in, making him sit, then they climbed into his lap and shushed him, pointing out the cartoons. Dani and Stephanie followed their sisters, dragging Eddie and Ray over to other chairs and claiming their laps. None of the men seemed to mind. After the show ended, all four girls turned to the man they were cuddled with, gave them a big kiss, and ran off for the nursery. Dan laughed and chased after them. Eddie and Ray grinned, but stayed where they were, looking over at the three of us. Eddie shook his head, breaking the sudden silence. "So. Engaged, pregnant, and with a boyfriend who might be deported. All of which happened in the span of two or three days. Jeez, sis. Slow down a little." When he said it like that, I laughed.

"Yeah, I planned all of that. Even the extra publicity of the ambulance ride. And all the new hashtags that have come out of the proposal at Jack's panel and Mark's promise afterward."

Eddie laughed. "Never do anything small, right? I mean, really. And you just had to add a wedding in the mix as well. Are you planning on getting married before Eddie and I get a chance now? I'd almost think Mom had a hand in this to get us to set a date already."

It was Mom's turn to laugh. "Ooh. I wish I had thought of that! Sadly, I didn't know until after Jack's panel, when the three of them called to let us know what was going on. We ended up unplugging the phone so the girls could sleep after they called, because there were suddenly so many calls coming in. Did they call you too, Eddie?"

He laughed and nodded. "And Darrell. And Jack's brother Malcolm. We were all on Skype in a conversation with her and Jack. I'm not sure where Mark was. Come to think of it, I'm not sure they were even dressed." Eddie looked at us, his eyebrows raised. "Why did that not occur to me until just now?"

I looked at him, blandly. "I'm not sure. I'm also not sure why it even occurred to you now. Jack and I were in bed, yes, but we told you we were going to try to have an early night. Mark had gone out to get some food for us before we tried to go to sleep. Honestly."

Jack leaned over and whispered to me "Love, ye know as well as I do what he was trying ta imply, right?" I rolled my eyes at Jack, who grinned and whispered again "Okay, good. And ye can do all tha talking for now."

Ray grinned at Jack. "And why can she do all the talking Jack? Afraid of what you might accidentally say? And did you know your voice carries, even when you whisper?"

I laughed as Jack blushed. "Hey, leave poor Jack alone. He can't help being loud. I love that about him. And Mark. They can be _almost_ as loud as me."

Eddie grinned. "But you can manage to be quieter too. Why can't they?"

I shook my head, looking mischievous. "Because they never had younger brothers to learn to torment in ways that Mom wouldn't hear. Obviously."

Mom laughed with Eddie, who was now blushing. "You did manage that. I never did catch you provoking the beginning of some of those arguments dear. But some of them I knew you must have. What are you going to do about making sure the girls don't do that? Hmm?"

I winked at Mom. "Not a problem. I'll just have Jack and Mark teach them to whisper."

Everyone in the room laughed now. I relaxed into Jack a little, leaning over to kiss him as he fake pouted after he laughed. Then I whispered "I saw you laugh sweetie. It's too late to pout."

Eddie looked at me, shaking his head. "What did you just tell him? I swear, you must impart whatever you're saying half telepathically. No one ever overhears you who you don't want to."

I waggled my eyebrows. "None of your business, you nosy. Anything I want to say to my fiancee or boyfriend and don't want you to hear, I'll whisper so you can't hear. Did it ever occur to you that you might not want to hear everything I say?"

Suddenly Ray laughed as Eddie looked uncomfortable. "Oh god, Eddie love, you walked right into that. I love your sister, man. She's awesome and can make you squirm." He lowered his voice to a whisper, but I still heard him. "Almost as much as I can..."

He blushed when I laughed. "Oh, I probably can more than you. If I wanted to, I could make the entire room uncomfortable."

Eddie crossed his arms and frowned at me, mock angry. "Damn your Vulcan hearing. How the hell do people plan surprises around you?"

I gave him a highly amused look. "They don't. They wait until I'm not around to plan them. And even then, I usually know at least something about the surprise. Actually, Jack's proposal, and Mark's ring, were the first surprises the guys had successfully pulled off in a really long time. Not that I mind. I'm not usually fond of surprises." I looked down at my stomach. "There were too many surprises at PAX this year. Even though most of them were good."

Jack and Mark both hugged me now, wrapping arms around me and resting them on the spot where the babies were. They gently released me after a minute, but each left a hand on my abdomen. I patted their hands and rested my hand between theirs. Jack leaned back over and rested his head on my shoulder. "Love, we didn't plan most of tha surprises. Ye surprised us too, with tha health issues and tha baby news." I sighed nodding. Sammi came out of the nursery then, looking around.

"Momma? Unca Dan needs some company. Can we get another growed up? Pwease?"

I smiled softly at her. "Did Uncle Dan ask for help, baby?" 

She shook her head, then pouted. "But he can't pway with all of us at tha same time. I no wanna wait." 

Eddie stood up. "Uncle Eddie to the rescue! Come on Ray, let's go play with my beautiful nieces. Now that we know sis is safe and as sensible as ever, we can get to why we really came. Princess party!" 

Sammi beamed at him. "Yah! Unca Eddie and Unca Ray! Thank ye!" She ran over and hugged them both around the knees, nearly knocking them over. 

Mom chuckled. "I'll come too. I want to watch this princess party. Maybe we can arrange a tea party afterward?"

Sammi nodded and ran to Mom, grabbing her hand. Momiplier took her other hand and they all headed for the nursery, leaving the guys and I alone with Dee. She grinned and shook her head. Then she looked at us. "I'm glad the three of you are taking a day to just recover from that trip. You all need it, I can tell. Now, is there anything any of you want or need? I'm going to go watch the princess party myself in a few minutes, but I wanted to make sure you were all comfy first."

Mark and Jack shook their heads. I thought for a minute. "Maybe some mint tea? Or ginger tea? It might help my stomach. And a little bit of honey, please." Dee nodded and went to make the tea for me. Mark wrapped an arm around behind Jack and I, pulling us over closer to him. 

"Babe? Are you feeling any better?" 

I sighed. "I hate that question already, and I know everyone is just going to keep asking it for a while. No, I still feel like I'm about to throw up, Mark. I'm barely keeping it together today." I leaned my head into his side. He frowned a little at me, looking worried. 

Jack suddenly grabbed my cell phone. "That's it. I'm calling Dr. Sara and making an appointment as soon as she can see ye. Ye weren't this sick, even with tha girls." I nodded miserably as he dialed, not moving away from Mark, who was gently stroking and patting my hand with the arm not around our shoulders. We listened to Jack calling the doctor. "Hello? Yes, this is Jack McLoughlin, calling for [Y/N]. She's a patient of Dr. Sara Duval. Yes, she has been in before. Dr. Sara is her regular OB/GYN since about two years ago. Her birthday is September 22. We need ta get an appointment as soon as Dr Sara can see her. Yes, it is an emergency. She had two ovarian cysts rupture a few days ago and she's pregnant. Yes, I'll hold." Jack rolled his eyes as the hold music played loudly. Suddenly I could hear Dr. Sara's voice come on. "Hang on a tick, Dr Sara. Let me put ye on speaker phone." Jack pressed a button and we could all hear Dr. Sara now. "Go ahead lass. She can hear ye now."

"Hi guys. What's this about you having ovarian cysts? And being pregnant?" I sighed and explained everything. I could practically hear the doctor chewing her lip when I finished. "Hmm. You better come in right away. Can you make it this afternoon? I have patients scheduled until four, but if someone doesn't show, I can probably see you sooner. If not, I'll see you as soon as the last patient leaves. This is definitely something I need to look into more. And dress comfy. I'm going to need a blood sample and we are probably going to do a ultrasound, just to double check things."

Mark spoke up. "We can be there in about twenty minutes."

"Perfect. See the three of you soon. And thanks for keeping me in the loop so fast."

I winced. "Actually, I was going to wait. But I'm so sick already, Jack decided to call now. The morning sickness is worse than it was with the girls, even though there were four of them."

"Hmm. You are probably going to need some medicine again then. I'll check things out when you come in. See you shortly. Bye."

"Bye." Jack hung up and got up to go tell our family and Dan where we were going. All the adults agreed to watch the girls while we were gone, and from what Jack said, they looked relieved to hear I was getting checked out again. While Jack was gone, I got up and changed into a clean dress. I put my shoes on, or started to, when suddenly the room spun and Mark, who had followed me into the bedroom, had to grab me to keep me upright. 

"Sit down, babe. I'll put your shoes on you. You need to mention these dizzy spells to the doctor too." Mark helped me sit on the edge of the bed and slid my shoes on my feet, then helped me stand up and walked slowly behind me as I gathered my purse, keys, and phone, heading to the door, where Jack was now waiting. He told us what everyone said as we walked out to the car. I got in the back. Mark told Jack to ride back there with me, telling him about my dizzy spell as he got in the front and drove us to the doctor's office. As we headed in, I felt faint again and silently blacked out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm planning at least a few chapters of calm, tranquil, everyday life. Or as calm and tranquil as this trio ever gets! :) 
> 
> Happy Thanksgiving to all the American readers out there! And for everyone else, can you believe it's only a month until Christmas?


	13. Doctor's Visit Number One, Take Two...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to see what's going on...

When I came to, Jack was holding me in his lap. Mark was holding my hand, gently massaging it, clearly trying not to freak out. We were sitting in the waiting room of the doctor's office. "Uh, what just happened?"

Mark shook his head at me. "You were just walking in here and suddenly passed out cold. Jack caught you and carried you in. I got you checked in. [Y/N], are you okay?"

I closed my eyes and nodded, leaning back into Jack. "Yeah. I think so. I mean, I feel sick, tired, and a little dizzy, but other than that, pretty normal." Jack hugged me and I winced. "Oh wonderful."

Jack frowned. "Love? Why did ye wince when I hugged ye?"

I sighed, and turned to him. "Sorry sweetie. You just squeezed my chest a little. I'm tender today." I looked down at my breasts and sighed. "Damn it. I hate sore boobs."

Mark patted my back. "We know babe. And we're sorry. I mean, you wouldn't be having all this if not for us."

I felt my emotions swing wildly and suddenly tears were streaming down my face. "Please don't blame yourselves guys. I mean, I love the girls, more than I ever thought possible, I love the two of you just as much, and I already love these little ones." I sniffled and wiped my face. "I hate hormone swings too."

Neither man said anything, but Jack pulled me in for another hug, taking care not to squeeze my chest this time. I sighed and snuggled into him when he didn't let me go right away. Mark leaned over and kissed me, gently, then handed me a tissue to wipe the last of the tears away. We sat quietly and waited to be seen. Mark and Jack got out cell phones and checked social media while we waited, but I couldn't concentrate. What if something was wrong? I tried to relax, but anxiety was swirling through my mind, making me restless and scared. The longer we waited, the worse it got, but I was keeping a pretty good lid on things, or so I thought. After we had been waiting for nearly an hour and a half, Jack sighed and put his phone away. "Love, calm down. I'm not sure what's going on, but I can tell yer getting worked up. Ye need ta relax. Stress isn't good for ye or tha babies. Please, just close yer eyes and think of something soothing." He started softly humming and rubbing my back with one hand. I closed my eyes and forced myself to let the swirling anxiety go, using his soft humming, familiar scent, and his presence as a grounding factor. When Mark leaned in close and started rubbing my shoulder, his added presence was enough to soothe me back into a calm state completely. Jack chuckled. "That's better lass. Ye have no idea how much tension ye were radiating. I don't even know how ye were doing it, but ye felt like a spring coiled ta the breaking point. We're here for ye, so talk ta us if ye need ta, but please, try not ta let things get ta ye."

I opened my eyes with a soft sigh. "I'm worried about the babies and why my symptoms are so bad this early. Honestly, this is way worse than with the girls, and there were four of them! I guess this has just been weighing on me more than I thought, particularly when I am just sitting here with nothing to else to think about except not throwing up. I was starting to spiral in anxiety when you spoke up Jack." I shook my head. "I know I shouldn't worry, but I just know something more is going on. I can't explain why, but something is off. I shouldn't be this sick."

Mark reached over and stroked my cheek. "Babe, that's why we're here. I'm sure, whatever it is, we can handle this, together. Now, just relax. Jack and I have you. You just focus on staying strong for the babies. You have already proven you can handle a lot, when you were pregnant before. Are you in any pain?"

I shook my head. "Nope. Just extremely queasy, dizzy, and feeling kind of faint. And the dizziness isn't helping the nausea." I rested my head on Mark's hand, which was still gently stroking my cheek. "I feel like I should be better able to handle this, since I've already been through this once, but this time feels different." 

Jack shifted in the seat a little and Mark came over, sitting as close as he could to the two of us. Mark and Jack leaned into each other, pulling me in close and I snuggled myself into them, happily. Both men wrapped an arm around me, resting a hand on my abdomen. I smiled, kissing each of them in turn and then gently laid my head on their shoulders, turning my face towards them and closing my eyes. Jack chuckled softly. "That's better lass. Ye just relax inta us." I nodded my head, not opening my eyes, relaxing as best I could. The soft music playing in the waiting room had a soporific effect, especially when combined with the familiar feeling and smell of Mark and Jack. I was soon napping lightly in the arms of my boyfriends. I woke up to Jack gently shifting under me, leaning in close. I opened my eyes and smiled sleepily at him. He grinned. "I was just about ta wake ye love. Tha nurse just called yer name."

I yawned and nodded. "Okay, I'm ready. You guys are coming back with me too, right?"

Mark smiled. "Of course, as long as you are okay with it babe." I nodded. We all stood up and Mark wrapped an arm around my waist. Jack put one of his arms around my shoulders. Mark winked. "In case you feel faint or need our support." 

I giggled a little. "Thanks. I love you, even if the two of you are goofballs." I leaned over and placed a sweet kiss on their cheeks. "You're my goofballs. Now, let's not keep the doctor waiting. I want to know just what's going on." I rested my head on Jack's shoulder as we walked. The nurse had the men let go so she could take my weight, then lead us back to the examination room. She asked me to change into the gown on the table and remove my underwear so the doctor could perform an ultrasound. I did so, with Mark and Jack holding my clothes and purse. When I was done, I climbed up on the exam table and the nurse nodded, smiled at us, and took my blood pressure, then drew some blood to test. After that she informed us the doctor would be in shortly and stepped back out. I leaned back on the table, getting comfortable against the inclined back. Jack and Mark sat down on either side of the table and held my hands. 

Jack looked around. "Jaysus. It seems like just a few weeks since we were here looking forward ta when tha girls would be getting here." He squeezed my hand and rested his other hand on my stomach, protectively. "I can't believe ye are going ta have more of our babies."

Mark's free hand reached over and joined Jack's on my invisible baby bump, smiling at both of us. "I'm so excited for this, even if the timing is a bit off. I'm so happy with you both and the girls, I can't help feel like this is going to be just as amazing as that trip was."

I closed my eyes to hide my thoughts. Fear and doubt were swimming to the surface again. I was scared that this would be a disaster. That something was horribly wrong. That we couldn't handle this. That we would get some news that would break us apart and I would be left alone with four toddlers and these new babies. That Jack would be deported and when the girls and I followed, he'd blame us and not want us near him. That Mark would change his mind about being forced to follow us all across an ocean. Terrible doubts that I would be able to handle another pregnancy. That the babies were not developing correctly and that's what's making me so sick. I knew if I thought about most of these things that they were just irrational fears, but they lingered and threatened to overwhelm me none the less. I was also slightly scared for my health. Pregnancy with the girls had been very hard on me. What if this pregnancy cause me other health issues, or worse yet, what if it brought back my heart troubles? I wasn't at all sure I could handle them a second time around. I felt silent tears welling up behind my eyes, but I refused to let them leak out, concentrating on staying calm instead. It worked and by the time Dr. Sara came in, just a moment later, I was under tight control. I doubted either of the guys had noticed anything. Neither of them had said anything to me, just continuing to keep their hands on my abdomen and smiling widely. 

Dr. Sara grinned at us when she came in. "Well, if it isn't my favorite trio! And how are all of you doing today?"

Jack squeezed my hand again. "Well, Mark and I are fine, but [y/n] here is really sick. She hasn't been able ta eat much of anything for days and she keeps throwing up or dry heaving almost whenever she moves. And she's fainted a number of times."

I sighed. "Jack, I could have told her." I looked at the doctor. "I'm also exhausted more than I should be and dizzy all the time. Worse even than when I was pregnant with the girls."

Dr. Sara nodded making notes in my chart. "Hmm. Well, first things first. Let me do a pelvic exam and ultrasound. I put a rush on the blood work to the lab, so we should have the results back in by the end of the appointment here. I'll definitely get you some medication for the nausea and dizziness again. But for now, let's see if we can find a cause for all this, shall we?"

I nodded, seeing the guys nodding as well from the corners of my eyes. Both men moved a little, pulling their hands back from my stomach but not letting go of my hands. I felt both of them give me a reassuring squeeze of the hand and I squeezed back. Dr. Sara smiled and walked over after washing her hands and putting on exam gloves. She felt around my pelvis, noting when I winced over where the cysts had burst. When she finished, I swallowed and asked the question I had been dreading. "Does everything feel normal?"

Dr. Sara smiled. "I can't tell very much from that exam, but I can definitely tell your uterus is very large, even for twins, if you really are only six or seven weeks along. Based on your last pregnancy and the fact that the files I got from the hospital in Seattle said they did not check your actual uterus closely at the time, I kind of suspect you may have a full house again. Maybe not four babies, but I think there are probably more than just two. That also explains your other symptoms. Now, let's get the ultrasound going and see exactly, shall we?"

I blinked feeling dazed. Mark and Jack both looked at me, waiting to see how I'd react. My head was swimming. I barely noticed Dr. Sara lift the gown up and drape a blanket over my legs, applying the gel for the ultrasound to my abdomen. Mark reached over and touched my cheek, drawing my attention. "Babe? Are you okay? You look a little stunned and lost."

I bit my lip and thought about the question as the doctor got the machine ready. "Honestly? I don't know. If I really am pregnant with more than twins, and everyone is healthy, I'll just need a minute to process it. I've been so worried that something is wrong that I've barely been keeping it together today." Mark rubbed his thumb along my cheek, comforting me wordlessly. Jack came closer and laid a gently kiss on my forehead, closing his eyes as he did so. It was incredibly sweet. "Thanks for being here guys." I gave a kind of mirthless chuckle. "Who knew I was hyper fertile? Good thing we all like kids." 

They grinned and nodded. "Love, I'm glad ta see ye still have yer sense of humor. Ye've been worrying me all day, being too quiet. I know ye have a lot on yer mind, and I was afraid ye were building yerself up ta a panic attack."

Mark nodded, stepping closer, moving his hand from my face to my shoulder as the doctor sat down, turned on the machine, and moved the second screen so we could see. "Well, let's see what we can see shall we? Mark, if you could just move your hand, and hers up a little, careful of that cord! Great." Dr. Sara moved the wand around on my belly. "Okay. It looks like there was no lasting damage from those cysts, but you do have some internal swelling in the area, which isn't uncommon. That's what caused the tenderness." I nodded, relieved. She moved the wand further down. "Now let's look at this baby bump."

We all blinked. Jack smiled at me, awe in his voice. "I didn't even notice it until tha doctor pointed it out, but love, I can just barely see it now."

I sighed and nodded, not sure how I felt about that. Dr. Sara grinned. "A little bit of mixed feelings Momma? I understand. It shows the world you really are pregnant, but at the same time, you don't want to look too big too fast." I smiled ruefully and nodded. She patted my leg with the hand not holding the wand. "No worries. Now, let's see if we can take some baby pictures or if they are still too tiny. Oh, and here." she unplugged something and the room was filled with the sound of fast, quiet heartbeats, sounding more like faint drums than babies right now. That brought a real smile to my face. Mark and Jack were beaming at each other and me now. "And here we go. I see one, two, no wait, three tiny little beans here on the left side. Let's see if we can get a clear image of them for you." She zoomed in and focused the grainy image until we could see there were indeed three little blobs forming along the side of my womb. They were tiny, looking no bigger than a blueberry. When I said that out loud, not realizing I actually had spoken, the doctor chuckled. "Yup. Almost exactly the size of a blueberry, which puts them right at the seven week mark. Now, let me just check the rest of your uterus to make sure you don't have any other little passengers in there." I nodded absently, still staring at the tiny images on the screen. Dr. Sara moved the wand again and suddenly we saw more blueberries on the other side. I stared hard for a few seconds counting three more. My mind went blank and I fainted again.

When I became aware of my surroundings again, Dr. Sara was smiling at me. Mark and Jack were hugging me. I felt like my brain had been stuffed with fuzzy wool or cotton. "Did I really see three more babies on the other side?"

Dr. Sara nodded. "Actually, yes. And there were two more along the back. You are carrying eight babies right now. Two sets of triplets and two more." My head swam again, forcing me to lay my head back against the pillow. "Uh, that does bring up some concerns and problems we will need to discuss." She cleared her throat, sounding nervous. "With multiples, the chances of complications go up exponentially with each baby. Now since we know you carried four successfully, we know you can handle a lot, but this is going to be an enormous strain. Also, there is a higher risk for the babies. You might want to consider reducing the number of babies, even just by one or two, to ease some of the potential issues."

I stared at her, almost uncomprehending. I felt Mark and Jack resting hands on my shoulders and giving me a gentle squeeze. I looked at them. They looked confused, sad, and stunned, all at once. I looked back over at Dr Sara. "D-do we have to decide today?"

Dr Sara smiled and shook her head. "Absolutely not. And you don't have to do this either. I just felt like I needed to inform you. This would normally be highly encouraged. I'm not sure in your case. You follow medical advice, take very good care of yourself, and have a tremendous support system in place. You will, absolutely, end up on bed rest only before the end of the pregnancy, unless you decide to do a drastic reduction. Medically speaking, if you feel like you can handle the strain, you are in good enough health to have all eight of these babies." She sighed. "This explains a lot more than it doesn't. And I want you on this anti-nausea medication by the end of the day. You need to be eating regular meals, and if you are constantly throwing up than you can't do that. Also, drink as much as you can. Sleep whenever you get the chance. Rest. All of these things will help you feel a lot better. Do the three of you have any questions for me now?"

Mark looked at her with tears in his eyes. It was breaking my heart a little, so I had to ask a question. "What would you do, doctor, in our place?"

Dr. Sara smiled a little. "I'd have the babies. All of them, if I thought I could handle it. I've seen the three of you deal with extremely stressful situations in the past and surprise after surprise without breaking. I just felt the need to tell you all what would normally be recommended. I highly encourage you to wait until your next appointment to tell me anything you decided. Talk it over. Talk to family. Let it sink in." Mark was looking down now. I looked over at Jack. He was silently crying. He saw me looking at him, so he smiled a little and reached over, pulling me close for a hug and a sweet, slow, lingering kiss.

I smiled faintly at him as we separated, leaning my forehead against his and closing my eyes for a few seconds. "I love you Sean." His smile brightened. I turned to Mark. "I love you too Mark." Mark looked at me and smiled. "Come here sweetheart." I held out my arms for a hug, pulling him in close. I held him tight for several long moments until I felt him relax. "Calm down. I'm okay. All these babies are healthy. The doctor just wants us to have all the options to make the best decision for everyone's safety. I looked into this a little when we were told the girls were all there. We can talk about this at home. And we'll discuss it. Nobody is making a decision alone on this, babe." I looked at Jack and thought of something. "Jack, sweetie, we should call your parents and invite them over. I want all the grandparents involved in the decision as well. Especially with everything else that's going on."

Mark stayed leaned against me in the hug and nodded. Jack looked at me for a long minute. "Ye're so calm about this. I'm glad, but a bit surprised as well. And thanks for thinking of Ma and Pa. They will want ta come right over."

I moved one hand to reach up and fix Mark's hair, getting his floof out of both of our faces. "Actually, this is good news. The babies are all healthy. All my fears and worries earlier were for nothing. Yeah, there are a lot more babies than I had expected. I have no idea if we can handle everything. I'm nervous. But this is also going to make a huge difference in your situation too Jack." He looked confused for a second then stunned as he realized what I meant. The international community would be up in arms if the US forced Jack out when his fiancee was pregnant with eight babies and had four little ones already to care for. I waved him over with my free hand and hugged him, one armed again, keeping both men tight against me. "We're going to be fine, all of us. Just you wait and see. I'm not saying things are going to be smooth sailing and easy, but everything will work out in the end. Trust me."

Dr. Sara coughed a little, drawing all our attention back to her. "Sorry. I just need to give you these prescriptions, schedule your next appointment, and then we have to wait for the lab to call." She handed the papers for the medications over to Mark, who had pulled away from me just slightly. Jack pulled himself free as well, so I sat up, wiped the gel off my belly the rest of the way, and straightened the gown. "Now, when can you come back for the next appointment? Normally, if you were expecting just one baby, or even twins, we would see you in about a month, but since you're such an overachiever, we're going to schedule you for every two weeks for a while. Think you can manage that?"

We nodded. I spoke up, asking a question for the first time about the pregnancy. "Doctor, what should we be watching for as abnormal symptoms? What should I avoid right now? Any special instructions?"

Dr. Sara grinned. "Abnormal symptoms would be heavy bleeding, cramping, or if your heart suddenly starts beating overly hard for no reason. Also, you kind of know what feels right and wrong. Go with it, but call the office if you have questions. As for what to avoid, I would say try to cut down on stress as much as you can, cut back your work hours if possible, just a little, and start easing up on any workout routines. Going for walks three or four times a week would be better than hard workouts twice a week. And get as much sleep as possible. Other than that, life can stay as normal as you can make it for a while. You know you are going to gain a lot of weight, so don't be surprised when you just suddenly start showing or your belly gets bigger fast. If your breasts get too tender, take some Tylenol for the pain and maybe ice them for fifteen minutes at a time to help with the swelling, if you need to."

I nodded taking everything in. I looked down and rubbed my tummy, thinking. I wanted to protect these tiny babies, as much as I wanted anything in my life, and was at the same time scared that we might have to get rid of one or two of them. It was a big decision and one I was not going to take lightly for certain. "Can I go ahead and change clothes again, please?" Dr Sara nodded and I slid down off the table, walking slowly over to the privacy screen. Jack followed me with my clothes, making sure I didn't fall or faint again. I smiled at him as he stepped behind the screen with me, helping me get dressed. After I was wearing my dress, I grabbed Jack, wrapping my arms around his neck and leaning close. "I love you so much Sean. Thank you for all the help."

He smiled back at me, his hands on my hips, his eyes meeting mine and dancing with emotion. I felt like I was falling into their blue depths, losing myself completely, and not caring in the least. "I love ye too, [y/n]. So much more than I can say properly." He leaned forward and kissed the tip of my nose before leaning down and helping me put my shoes on, a simple task that had been difficult for me for the last few days or so because of the dizziness. Once he finished, we both slipped back out into the exam room. Mark was quietly talking to the doctor, but stopped when he saw us coming back over. He hopped up and pulled out a chair for me over by Dr. Sara's desk, then helped me get settled in the chair, which I protested slightly, claiming I could do it myself. Jack grinned at me, unrepentant. "Lass, ye best be getting used ta Mark and I doing everything for ye again. Between tha two of us, ye won't have ta worry about doing things, if we can help it, until tha babies get here."

I shook my head with a smile. "Guys, I'm not that fragile. Besides, I'm not even two months along. Seven weeks out of forty. You'll wear yourselves out. I promise, I'll ask for help when I need it."

Mark and Jack shook their heads. "Nope. We're going to help anyway babe. Jack and I know you too well to believe you about asking for help. You're too stubborn. So save that strength for the babies or the girls." I sighed and raised my hands in mock surrender. Mark grinned and kissed my cheek. "That's better."

Dr. Sara opened a file on her computer. "Okay, lab results are back. You need to take Vitamin D and Iron supplements. So add those to your prenatal vitamins. Now, I want you to come back in two or three weeks. How does the twenty-second sound? At one?"

I looked at the guys, who were now blushing madly. I cleared my throat. "I think we can do that. We'll just schedule the whole afternoon off. Can we get copies of the ultrasound images, please?"

Dr. Sara blinked, nodded, and sent the photos to the printer, five copies, before handing them over to me. I smiled and immediately tucked them in my purse for safe keeping. Then she turned to the three of us. "Well, that's all I have for you today. I'll see you all soon. And like I said, try not to stress." We nodded and stepped out the door, heading to our car and home. When Mark got in to drive us home, he didn't even blink when Jack climbed in the back with me, snuggling close for the short drive. I was quiet, thinking. I didn't even notice when Mark stopped the car, went in the pharmacy, got the vitamins for me, and filled my prescriptions. Jack had his arms around me hands resting on my tummy, rubbing gently. I closed my eyes and relaxed, letting the stress drain away.

Jack and I stayed like that the whole time Mark was in the pharmacy, when he came out and got some lunch to go, from the grocery store next door, and the rest of the drive home. By then, I had to pee, but I had come to my decision for what I felt we should do about the babies. It was time for me to talk to Jack, Mark, our families, and our friends. After Mark parked the car at the house, I opened my eyes and started to get out, but Jack didn't let me go for a moment. When he did, I scooted to the edge of the seat, only to be scooped up and carried in the house by Mark. Jack was grinning and carrying in the items from the trunk, the food and medications. I shook my head and asked to be taken to the bathroom first. Mark grinned at me and obliged. After I took care of my overly full bladder, I washed my hands and stepped back out, avoiding Mark's grab to carry me, and walked to the living room, where I sat down and got comfy under my silver blanket, wrapping up tight, and resting both my hands over my baby bump. I sighed happily and settled in, waiting for everyone to come find me. I knew as soon as they realized we were back, they would flock out to me to find out what was going on. I decided to call Jack's folks while I waited. It was only about nine thirty in Ireland, so I figured chances would be good they would be up and online. I grabbed my tablet and launched Skype, saw them online and called right away. Ma answered. I grinned at her. "Hi Ma. Just calling to update you with some news and an invitation to come visit us, our treat. You and Pa re welcome to come over and stay as long as you like." 

Ma grinned. "Thank ye lass. What brought this on?"

I chuckled. "Baby news. BIG baby news. Go get Pa. And Simon if he's around. We can call Susan, Malcolm, and Alison later." Ma smiled and asked me to wait a minute while she walked away, off screen, to go get Pa and Simon. While she was gone, I saw Darrell and Malcolm both come online and I invited them to the call as well. "Hi guys. Great to see you both. I'm calling Jack's parents, so Ma is on the call as well, but she went to go get Pa and Simon. We invited Ma and Pa to come visit as long as they want, our treat."

Darrell raised an eyebrow, then grinned. "Trying to make it impossible to deport Jack?"

I shook my head. "Nope. I think I already did that. You'll see why in a few minutes."

Mom came in the room. "[Y/N]? When did you get back? And who are you talking to?"

Darrell called out "Hi Mom!" Mom grinned and came over to stand behind the couch chatting with Darrell for a few moments. I also introduced her to Malcolm and told her I was waiting for Ma, Pa, and Simon to come back to share some baby news. Mom grinned and pulled a chair over closer to join in. Then she asked me to wait for her and dashed off Jack and Mark came in, trailing Danny, Eddie, Ray, and the girls. The girls all rushed over to say hi to Malcolm and Darrell, then wanted to cuddle. I scooted over a little, so Mark and Jack could sit next to me, then helped the girls get settled in our laps. They curled up, just clinging to us, drawing out smiles. Danny, Eddie, and Ray sat down to talk with the guys, quietly. I turned the TV on and sent the image from the tablet to the screen so everyone could see and set the tablet down, facing us, so the camera would still be on us. Then Mom walked back in with Dee and Momiplier. I blinked. 

"Well, everybody get comfortable. I had no idea I was going to have this big an audience." Ma came back trailing Pa and Simon. I looked at them, then told them who else was on the call and in the room with us. They smiled and said hellos, then everyone settled in. I looked around at the faces of people who loved me, took a breath, and launched into it. "So we went to the baby doctor today, to get checked on because I'm so sick this time around. Sicker than with the girls, even though there were four of them. The girls looked at me, then patted my arms. I smiled at them. "I'm okay girls. The doctor just wanted to check some things out. So anyway, I'm anemic and have mildly low Vitamin D levels, so I have to take some extra vitamins for that along with the baby vitamins. And I'm on a medicine to keep me for throwing up so much and being so dizzy. I've been fainting from the dizziness, which is not good. So anyway, there's that." I paused taking another deep breath. "And then we had the ultrasound. The good news is the babies are all healthy and I am definitely right around seven weeks pregnant. They are about the size of blueberries right now."

Ma immediately jumped in. "Ye said tha good news. What's tha bad?"

I shivered slightly. "It's not exactly bad. Just concerning. Hang on a minute please." I turned to Mark. "Sweetheart, can you take the girls in the kitchen to get drinks for everyone. Girls, please go help Papa carry drinks back out." They nodded and ran for the kitchen, Mark trailing behind. I waited until the door closed behind him. "I'm pregnant with eight babies." 

There was a deafening, stunned silence. Then Danny broke it. "Eight? How are they all going to have enough room?"

I quirked a smile. "That's why it's concerning. The doctor advised us to at least consider medically reducing the number by one or two. " I bit my lip. "This isn't a decision to take lightly. I'm going to be talking it over with most of you, probably, and definitely with Mark and Jack, a lot. I've been thinking about it non-stop since we left the doctor's office a little while ago. I just didn't want to say anything in front of tiny ears." Just then the door to the kitchen opened and Tiana and Dani appeared, carrying glasses. Sammi and Steph were right behind, with a pitcher each, one of water and one of tea. Mark had a bucket of ice and some other options for people. They set everything down on the coffee table, then the girls ran back into the kitchen, grabbing their cups. Mark quickly settled in next to me, snuggling close. I reached over and wrapped an arm around him, resting it in his hair, gently playing with his floof. He sighed and relaxed a little. I turned back to the worried looks of everyone else. "We can handle this, I swear, one way or another. And I already have decided my vote, but I want to weight everyone else's opinion too. Mark and Jack, you are going to have equal votes with me, so be prepared to discuss this endlessly, unless you have already made up your minds , and we are all already in agreement. Not that we can't be dissuaded, if everyone else feels strongly, but I think all of us know our own minds pretty well, and we need to make the decision based on what we feel we can live with and is best for the family as a whole." I looked around with a small smile, my eyes resting on Mark for a few seconds, then finally settling on Jack. He looked sad, but determined not to let things show. I reached over with my free arm and lifted his chin, pulling him into a kiss. I didn't care that everyone was watching, or that the girls had walked back in and were settling in our laps again. They didn't seem to mind anyway. "We can handle this. Trust me. And this will, undoubtedly make our case for immigration bulletproof. After we have made a decision, I'll be releasing the pregnancy announcement vlog. Our communities are already prepared to fight to help keep us together. This will galvanize them and might encourage more people, even those who aren't part of our fanbase, but who don't want to see a family split up, to voice opinions and support for us." I chuckled leaning my head on Jack's shoulder for a minute. "And it's not like we're short on money, love, or support."

Ma smiled as us. "Ye've been thinking lass. Good on ye for examining this from all angles before ye told anyone. Pa and I will definitely take ye up on yer offer ta come visit ye. When?"

Jack looked surprised, then looked at me with a grin. I was smiling at Ma and Pa. "As soon as you can fly out. Let us know, I'll arrange the tickets. You'll be staying here of course. We have a lot of empty space, so it won't put anyone out." Sammi squirmed a little in my lap, drawing my attention. "Sam, do you need to go potty?" She nodded. Mom stood up and took her back to the toddler toilet. Potty training had started a few weeks ago and the girls were mostly toilet trained now, but we still had a few accidents every now and then. Looking at the girls, I realized we were going to have to make another change. I looked at Jack and Mark again. "Guys, we're either going to have to redesignate one of the rooms on this floor or move the girls up to rooms upstairs before the babies get here. What do you think girls? Do you want to move upstairs into big girl beds and have more room, or stay down here for a while longer?"

Dani looked at me, a small frown on her face. "Wiw we have ta be awone in a big room? I no wike that idea."

I chuckled. "No, you can stay with at least one of your sisters in your room. If you want, we can put two of you in each room, painting your names on the door. That way too, if you want some time away from your sisters, you can go to your bedroom and keep people out, mostly. You know Momma likes some alone time sometimes. I think you girls will too, eventually."

Dani nodded, snuggling closer to Mark. "Okay Momma." 

Ti nodded too. "I wike that idea. Can we hewp pick tha cowors and patterns on tha walls?" I nodded and she clapped, excited. Jack grinned, kissing the side of her head. 

Stephanie looked thoughtful. "I wanna stay with Ti. She 's my bestest friend." Tiana grabbed her hand and they ran off to play suddenly. Dani looked a little sad until Sammi came back. Then she leaned over and whispered to her for a while, until they both dissolved into giggles. Conversation moved on around them.

When Sammi came back, she snuggled into my lap, and I gently stroked her hair as she whispered with her sister and I talked to the grown ups. Dan was grinning at me. "So, your idea of taking it easy is to move everyone around and rearrange life?"

That drew a chuckle from me. "Not quite. My idea of taking it easy involves making sure everyone is looked after so I can relax. The moving and rearranging is a side effect. But one I'm not going to deal with. I'm going to delegate that to my big, strong boyfriends, and my little princesses, mostly. I might oversee some things being moved, but I'm actually going to do as little physical moving of things as possible."

Jack and Mark beamed at me. Pa laughed. "Smart lass. Put those layabouts ta work. Ye rest up." I grinned and winked at him. He continued to chuckle. I felt the familiar wave of nausea and dizziness come over me and I went a little pale and tight lipped for a few seconds. Jack grabbed the new medicines and handed them to me to take. Mark was pouring me some tea. 

I sighed. "Thanks guys. I was hoping I wasn't being obvious when that happened, but apparently I was. Sorry." I looked down and took the medicines. Jack also was holding one of the anti-nausea lollipops, which he unwrapped and handed to me. 

Dani had looked up and patted my knee, grinning as I stuck the lollipop in my mouth. "Momma ye need yer medicine. See, Daddy has a treat for ye too!" That drew chuckles all around the room, knowing she was referring to the lollipops we bribed the girls with when they were sick, that were actually medicine for sore throats or vitamin supplements. "Come on, Sammi, wet's go pway. I wanna draw." Sammi nodded and they scampered off, Mom trailing behind to watch them. She knew I would talk to her later, to weigh in on the baby issue. Now that the girls were all otherwise occupied, discussion moved back to that topic, which everyone had been anxious to discuss anyway.

Everyone weighed in, except Mark, Jack, and I. We listened to all the opinions of the family. We didn't say anything until they had all had a chance to speak their minds, only settled back so we would be more comfortable, which really meant Jack scooted against the arm of the couch and turned sideways, sitting with his legs stretched out. I settled in his lap, curling up slightly. Mark settled at my feet on a stack of pillows, leaned against my knees. Jack cuddled me close as we listened, absentmindedly playing with my hair. I leaned into it, feeling the tension drain once more from me. He smiled and kissed my cheek several times as we listened. Mark leaned against me and closed his eyes, just listening and being a calm presence. Opinions were split on the matter of the babies, to no one's great surprise. Finally, after nearly an hour of debate, I raised my hands. "Okay, I need to cut this off here. Everyone has had their say, for now. No one is saying anything new, just arguing, and I desperately need a bathroom break and a nap. Ma, Pa, we'll see you soon. Simon, it was nice to see you again as well. Bye! Bye Darrell. Bye Mal!" When they said their goodbyes, I disconnected. I started to get up, but Jack was faster, scooping me up and carrying me off to our bathroom and bedroom after I finished. He laid me down on the bed and laid down with me, looking tired. I reached a hand over and stroked his cheek gently. "Thank you Sean. I know today has been a really hard day."

He nodded and kissed the palm of my hand. I shivered slightly. He wrapped his arms around me and held me close, clearly lost in thought. A few moments later, Mark came in and joined us, laying down on my other side and wrapping us both up in his warm arms, wrapping all of us up in a blanket. I felt so loved and protected I fell right asleep. 

I woke up slowly some time later. Mark was watching me sleep. Jack was laying with his eyes closed next to me, but didn't seem to be sleeping, just resting and trying to relax. As soon as I moved though, he opened his eyes and looked at me. "Feeling better love?"

I nodded, snuggling into the warmth, reluctant to get out of the protective cocoon. Mark leaned over and kissed me gently. "Good. Now we just need to feed you some dinner. Then our Mom's have agreed to watch the girls so we can talk, snuggle, and sleep as we need to. Sound good?"

I yawned and stretched feeling enough better that food actually sounded good. I said so. Both men grinned. Mark insisted on carrying me to the kitchen and settling me in a seat. The girls, who were in their booster seats, giggled, watching us. "Papa! Momma can wawk. Right Momma?"

I grinned. "Yes. Papa and Daddy are just being goofy goobers." Mark laughed softly.

Momiplier was not as quiet in her laughter. "Oh god, not that song again." Jack laughed along with her. Dee and Mom looked confused, so Momiplier explained about the song, which had appeared on some of Mark's early videos, including Drunk Minecraft and was performed by Mark, Wade, and Bob. 

Our mothers had prepared dinner. It was a baked chicken dinner, with wild rice, salad, and some steamed broccoli. Not highly seasoned, but not overly aromatic either, which helped with my stomach. I insisted on taking a very small plate, telling everyone I could always come back for more. Mark and Jack, who had insisted on getting my food, frowned, but eventually saw the sense in what I was saying. When they brought my food over I thanked each of them with a small kiss, making our daughters giggle. I looked over at them. "Are we your entertainment for dinner, girls?"

Sammi and Dani looked at each other and nodded, amusement clear in their eyes. Tiana just kept giggling. Stephanie looked at us, tilted her head, then looked down at her food and started eating, periodically stopping to look at us to see if we were amusing yet. 

Jack and Mark dished up their own plates and came over, sitting as close to me as they could. I leaned on Mark's shoulder as I ate, still feeling tired and more than a little dizzy. I ate my food slowly, listening to the signals my body was giving me and stopped before my plate was empty to go lay down on the couch, away from the smell and sight of food. I closed my eyes, but didn't go back to sleep, feeling too ill to sleep. Mark and Jack joined me before long, getting in a comfortable position so we could all talk seriously, which meant I was once again laying on the couch with Mark under my head and shoulders and Jack laying beside me, holding me close. Mark was gently massaging my head, feeling the tension I had from not feeling well. Jack laid the blanket over us and we started the much dreaded conversation, our voices barely above a whisper. "Love? Ye said earlier ye had already decided yer vote for what ta do about tha babies. Do ye want ta discuss it now?"

I looked at Jack. "Not particularly, but we better anyway. The stress isn't good for any of us." I looked up at Mark, raising an eyebrow. He swallowed and nodded. "Who wants to go first? I'll save mine for last, just because I've been thinking all day, so I know what my thoughts are, but I want to know what the two of you are thinking."

Jack swallowed hard and leaned his head against me. "Fair enough, even if it does seem wrong somehow. Lass, I want ye safe. Ye are so important ta me, ta us, I don't know if I could handle losing ye at this point. If we have ta lose a baby or two, I would hate it, but I could deal with it. Ye need ta stay safe." He hugged me tighter than before, and I heard the raw emotion on his voice. I nodded, lifting a hand to smooth his hair out of his face, gently lingering on his cheek afterwards. He avoided my eyes, trying to keep his composure, eventually closing them to keep from crying. I turned my face up to Mark.

He was gently crying, silent tears running down his face. He nodded. "I completely agree with Jack. It would kill me, if something happened to you. I mean that literally. I think my heart would stop. I think if we lost a baby or two, at this stage, I could handle it. Especially when there are so many coming." He broke off, sobbing. I moved, sitting up, to comfort him, wrapping him in a tight hug, pulling his face into my shoulder. I patted and rubbed his back, just soothing him as much as I could. Finally, he stopped crying, looking emotionally wrung out.

"Better?" He nodded. "Good. Now, listen closely, both of you. I think you missed something very important the doctor said, and repeated when I asked my question. She was NOT recommending reducing the number of babies. She only presented it as an option. She was telling us to be thorough. She was saying she thought I could successfully carry all eight babies. I'm inclined to believe her. I want to if I can, safely. I only considered it at all for the safety of the babies in here." I rubbed my hand over my tummy. Both men were looking at me now, surprise on their faces. I looked at them more closely, a half smile on my face. "You missed her answer didn't you? You were both so locked on the negative possibility you didn't even hear Dr. Sara tell us I am healthy enough to carry all eight little ones and if she were in my place, she would." They blinked and I could practically see their reality shifting as my news really sunk in. Suddenly I was being crushed in massive hugs and they were both smiling hugely. 

Mark pulled back a little after a few minutes and looked at me again. "Oh my god. We're going to have eight more babies." I nodded. He was smiling, but I could see a little panic on his face now too. 

Jack pulled back from me as well now as the rest of reality crashed into him. "Sweet Jaysus. How are we going ta keep up? Eight more..."

I nodded again, looking down. "Twelve tiny people to keep track of under the age of three." I looked up just in time to see Mark's eyes roll back in his head and him fall to the floor, off the couch. I yelled out, but it was too late to catch him. Jack seemed ready to faint as well, so I made sure I was holding him up. Momiplier and Dee came out of the kitchen at a run. They looked at me, and my two fainting boyfriends.

Dee asked the question I knew was coming. "What the hell did you do now?"

I chuckled, unable to stop myself. "Nothing. Reality hit them both at the same time, a bit like a freight train, I'm afraid. They both fainted when they realized we could have twelve kids under three." Dee and Momiplier both paused.

Momiplier paled a little. "When you phrase it that way, it does seem a little like a baseball bat to the brain." She looked at me. "So you are thinking about keeping all of them?"

I nodded. "Basically. I wanted to make sure no one was opposed strongly. Earlier everyone who was concerned about us reducing them, was talking about my health. The doctor already assured me I was healthy enough to handle this, if I wanted. In fact, she told me candidly, that she would have them all if she were in my place. I really want to try." Dee and Momiplier nodded, looking excited. Sammi's loud voice from the kitchen brought them back to reality. They grinned and headed into the kitchen, telling Mom what had happened when they got there. I brought Jack back around first and got his help to pick Mark back up. He was harder to wake back up. When we finally got him back, I smiled and snuggled into his chest. "Don't scare me like that babe! I need you and Jack. You've both been so strong today, and all week really. Don't fade on me now." 

He grinned, still looking dazed. "Sorry. It just kind of overwhelmed my brain for a minute."

I chuckled. "Yeah, that's what happened to me at the doctor's office, only my hormones were partly to blame." I looked at both men. "Come on. Let's go lay down in bed, cuddle, and we can talk more, or just get some sleep. Personally, I vote for cuddles and sleep. I'm still really wiped out from PAX."

Jack chuckled and nodded, taking my hand and helping me up. Mark stood up, then scooped me up in his arms, carrying me off to bed, despite my protests. Jack helped me change clothes. I took my vitamins, crawled under the covers, and was soon joined by both men, now in pajamas. We snuggled, whispering thoughts about the babies for a while until we all fell asleep, one by one, wrapped in a cocoon of love, safety, and each other's arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO. MANY. BABIES...
> 
> And I might blame some of this on Ieva for commented what she did when I started writing this chapter. She gave me ideas... (It was originally only going to be triplets.)
> 
> XD 
> 
> See ya'll next chapter. (This took longer than usual, I'm aware. It's also a longer than usual chapter.)


	14. Work Announcements *

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to tell the rest of the office and your friends about the babies.

Jack, Mark, and I took a few extra days to recover from PAX, the proposal, the pregnancy news, and everything else, just taking it easy and relaxing whenever we could. We still went in to work, mostly, which we all agreed was quieter than home and no one was sending us loud opinions, crying, or throwing tantrums. We still hadn't told the rest of our friends anything more than the news that I was pregnant with more than one baby, but it was enough to explain my constant nausea. I had decided to wait to tell the film crew until our every other week meeting in my office. The writers and Vicki would be there for the first part of the meeting as well. Meanwhile, Mary was sick too, without the benefit of medication to ease her nausea. The two of us were often seen making mad dashes off set, running for the nearest toilet or trashcan if we couldn't make it that far. The medicine was helping, actually a lot, but I was still having a lot of reactions to smells as well as the random bouts of morning sickness. Mark and Jack were great, taking excellent care of me at home, but giving me a little extra breathing room at work. By Thursday, two days after my doctor's appointment, I had decided to tell all our friends before the weekend. I knew at least a few people were likely to stop by randomly, and the overprotective behavior of Jack and Mark would raise immediate concerns and questions. So Thursday afternoon, as we were wrapping filming, I asked our friends to come back to my office for a little while. Everyone instantly agreed, following me in, then settling on the furniture. As the show had grown, my office had changed as well, adding more couches and annexing another office. The wall between them had come down last winter, leaving me with a large office and lounge area where the YouTubers and I hung out when filming wasn't taking place. Mark had once again moved his office over by one when this happened, so I was still in between his office and Jack's, but had a much larger space since nearly everyone was in my office everyday anyway. I settled on the couch and was immediately sandwiched by Jack and Mark, who had claimed seats on either side of me as soon as I got near the couch. I sighed, but snuggled into them anyway. Jack grinned and kissed my shoulder, sitting slightly behind me. As soon as everyone else was settled I turned to them with a crooked smile and started. "Thanks for coming back to hang out for a little while everyone. And for putting up with my mad dashed to go be sick so much. I really had hoped I would have less nausea this time around, but apparently not. Mark, Jack, and I found out the other day why though, and we want to share it with all of you, especially since you all come by the house so often."

Mary grinned at me. "You need a reason to explain morning sickness? I thought it was just random and overwhelming."

I chuckled. "Well, yeah, but not as bad as mine has been. I am on anti-nausea medicine already, the same stuff I had to take when I was expecting the girls. And you can all see, this time around it's not working nearly as well, right?" I looked around and Wade, Bob, Matt, Ryan, and Molly nodded. Felix, Ken, Mary, and Marzia looked unsure. The rest of the group, most of our fellow Revelmode crew and a few other YouTubers who had been added this season, just shook their heads, not knowing what I meant since they weren't around for my last pregnancy at all. 

Jack suddenly pulled me back into his arms and kissed my cheek. "Ye're handling it well love. Can I tell our friends tha news now, please?" I nodded, leaning into his side and resting my head on his shoulder. Mark reached over and wrapped an arm around both of us. "Well, since our poor lass here has been so sick, we headed back ta tha doctor tha other day. We were also a bit concerned because she keeps fainting on us. And she's been dizzy a lot. So we got an emergency appointment with her doctor on Tuesday and went in with her ta get everything checked. Well, it's actually good we did. Turns out, it's not twins like tha hospital in Seattle thought. Poor lass is actually pregnant with eight babies."

Jack paused to let that sink in. Felix blinked at me almost owlishly. "What the fuck?! How does this shit keep happening to the three of you?"

I giggled a little. "I guess I'm like hyper fertile. Or the guys are. Or we all are. Or something." Jack and Mark both blushed and ducked their heads, looking at me.

Mary made a noise, making us look at her. "Oh, sorry. I was just trying to imagine my morning sickness eight times worse. I can't. How are you not, I don't know, dead?"

I blushed. "The medicines the doctor gave me are helping. And I know some tricks that help as well. Mostly, though, I'm just stubborn and refuse to throw up if it doesn't sneak up on me too fast. The dizziness is harder to deal with at this point. That's mainly why I've been fainting. I get too dizzy and just pass out. Jack had to catch me on the way into the doctors office. And I have to have help putting on shoes everyday. Fortunately, the girls like to help with that and I have two men who don't mind either. I just wanted everyone to know. I'm planning on telling the rest of the staff tomorrow at the staff meeting in here, but I wanted all of you to know first. Oh, and I have to go talk to legal about this and something else before we leave. Jack, can you come with me, please?"

Jack grinned. "Of course love. Is it about those papers?" I nodded. He kissed the tip of my nose. "Anything for ye. Especially this."

Ken looked at us, curious. "What papers? Does this have to do with Jack's VISA issue?"

I sighed. "Sort of. I'm making a backup plan just in case there are any hiccups with immigration for Jack. That includes getting dual citizenship for myself. I had legal start the paperwork on Tuesday. I need to see how that's going now. And inform them of the babies, since it's going to effect the outcome of Jack's case. Or Mark's case if we end up having to go to Ireland."

Ken blinked. "Do you really think that's going to happen?"

Mark grinned at me. "No. But she likes to be over cautious. Ever since we met her, she plans backups for everything, more than we think we're going to need. The funny thing is, she's usually right. I mean look what happened when Jack was hurt the spring after we started. Ever since, she has had us on at least a one month buffer. What is it now, two full months worth of content on YouTube to cycle in?"

I smiled back at him. "Gee, thanks Mark, make me sound like a harsh taskmaster. Yeah, you both have about a two month buffer right now. And actually Ken, it's also to streamline another process. After these babies are born, if Jack and I are both Irish citizens, the babies are going to be as well, automatically. I won't have to fill out the same paperwork I had to for the girls. And I want all our children to have free access to both countries. It's like chess, why plan only one move at a time, when a few extra seconds of thought will often make a difference five or ten moves down the line." I snuggled a little closer to Jack, starting to feel dizzy again. He wrapped an arm around me and I closed my eyes. "I like to plan ahead. Especially if I can't be as active and do all the things I usually can. I learned that lesson well, the first time I was pregnant."

Mark reached his free hand over and rested it on my lap, patting my leg gently and turned toward me. "Babe." I opened my eyes and looked at him. He smiled softly. "You know we're sorry you have to go through this again. But we're going to be here every step of the way, helping however we can." I nodded and moved over slightly to lean against him for a second, making Jack whine a little. Then I shifted back into Jack's side. Mark leaned over to follow, resting his head on my shoulder. He used the hand behind Jack and me to gently squeeze Jack's shoulder. Jack looked over at him and smiled tightly. 

Everyone was watching, but so far no one had voiced any comments about the babies. I suspected they were all still taking it in. I looked around, a small smile on my face and finally piped up with what I was thinking. "What? No one is going to comment on the babies? Or mention the fact that we're about to have twelve kids under the age of three? Or has nobody thought of that?" I chuckled as all our friends faces suddenly changed, struck with that realization. Felix swore particularly harshly in Swedish. "Wow, you all handled that pretty well. Mark and Jack looked like I had smacked them in the head with two by fours. They actually fainted too." Both men blushed. I just giggled. "Well, to be fair, I did too, at the doctor's office, when I saw the sixth little bean on the ultrasound. But I blame some of that on the hormones and dizziness. After all, I fainted on the way into the office just walking."

Jack grinned at me and hugged me a little tighter. "Glad ye can laugh about it lass. Scared tha crap outta Markimoo and I. I was afraid I wasn't going ta be fast enough ta catch ye as ye fell either."

I winked at him. "You're spry. And I trust you. Besides, it's not like I PLANNED to pass out." I sighed. "It just keeps happening. Like the throwing up."

Mary nodded. "I get it. I have felt faint a few times, but so far have avoided passing out. Well, all I can say is you three are going to have your hands full."

We looked at each other and nodded. Marzia got up and came over to hug me, as did Molly. I smiled at both of them. Marzia decided she had a question now as well. "So, how far along are you? Or could the doctors tell? I know last time there was a lot of confusion about your due date."

I smiled a half smile. "No, they can tell pretty clearly this time. I'm right around seven weeks in. The ultrasound showed us all eight tiny babies, about the size of blueberries, and the doctor got a good measurement this time. But I'm already having some other symptoms of pregnancy as well. When she performed the ultrasound we also saw the tiniest baby bump already forming. Among other things." Marzia grinned and mouthed 'Boobs?' I nodded back. She giggled and whispered to Mary the problem as she sat back down next to her. Jack and Mark both reached over and rested hands on my baby bump, making me shake my head in exasperation at them. "Guys, there is no way you're going to feel anything yet. Even I can't feel anything yet. And I know you like to rest your hands there, but please remember, it might annoy me if you keep pinning me in place by doing this. Now, if no one else has any questions or comments, I think I'm ready to go meet with legal and get home. I want to take a nap soon. I'm still tired from all the events at PAX."

Mary grinned at me. "Speaking of PAX, can we see the ring now? You were still not feeling well when you showed it the other day, and I want a close up, longer look."

I grinned back at her. "At which ring? The one I got from Jack? Or the one from Mark? They are both gorgeous, just like the two of them, actually." I leaned over and kissed both men on the cheeks and held out my hands. All the ladies crowded close and took hold of my hands to admire the rings up close, taking their time today. Jack and Mark were both smiling at me, watching me.

Jack leaned in close and whispered "Ye look so happy, ye're practically glowing with it. That's tha reaction I've been waiting ta see." He pressed a kiss in my shoulder, just below my ear and rested his head in the same spot a moment later. I leaned my head against his.

Marzia let go of my hand after a minute and turned to Jack. "Good job. That's a really beautiful ring. And that was an excellent proposal. I'm proud of you Jack." She reached over and hugged him, then turned to Mark. "You too." Then she slipped back over to her seat next to Felix. 

Felix groaned. "Damnit! You two losers set the bar really high for the rest of us you know."

Wade and Bob grinned an looked at each other. Bob added. "Speak for yourself, Felix. The smart ones already staked our claims."

Wade's grin got wider. "Yeah. I'm glad Molly and I are already engaged."

Felix groaned again, blushing and ducked his head. Ken started laughing. "Bro, you're in so much trouble." Everyone in the room was chuckling now. Molly and Mary winked at me and headed back over to their guys, cuddling them. I put my hands back down after Emma and Dodger finished looking at the rings. I yawned, starting to feel tired, yet again. 

Jack noticed immediately. "Come on love. Let's go talk ta legal and get ye home. Ye need ta eat something and then it's time for sleep. If ye cooperate, I'll let ye help put tha girls ta bed."

Mark stood up. "I'll come too, just to remind them that we are all sticking together on this. Plus, I might want to ask a few questions." I nodded and he helped me to my feet, holding me as I tried not to sway from dizziness or fall back down. "Babe? You okay? Are you dizzy again?"

I sighed and leaned into him. "I'm constantly dizzy right now, Mark. You don't even need to ask. Just give me a minute. I have to go slow is all. And standing up or sitting up from laying down always makes the room spin a bit more."

Jack patted my back. "Love, take all tha time ye need. We'll wait for ye ta get settled."

I closed my eyes and waited for the worst of the spinning feeling to subside. When the room felt a little more steady I straightened and saw our friends had left sometime between me standing up and now. I raised an eyebrow, looking at Jack. "I didn't hear anyone leave. And I didn't think it took me that long to gather myself. Did I pass out standing up?"

Jack shook his head. "Nah. They just saw us getting ready ta leave and left, trying not ta disturb ye. They waved to us though. Now, are ye ready ta head upstairs?" I nodded. "Then let's go face this mess."

We walked slowly to the elevator, both men with arms wrapped around me. I didn't say anything about it, honestly a little grateful for the support, but also annoyed that they thought I couldn't handle something so simple as walking. I gave myself a mental shake. Honestly, what was wrong with me today? I couldn't even decide whether a simple gesture was sweet or annoying? I leaned against the wall of the elevator slightly as we went upstairs to the fourth floor where legal had offices. The third floor had originally been designated as office space, but as the show continued to grow, we had been forced to split the office space up again, moving the recording setups to the third floor with the cubicles for the lighting and camera crews. We had also been forced to hire more editors, and camera people, so I was now overseeing a small army of people. Danica was still my assistant, and did edit for me occasionally, but her job scope had changed a lot since she started and I had looked out for her, making sure she was paid well for the changes. She had told me over the summer, she felt like I was the best boss she had ever had, loved this job more than she thought she ever would, and was going to make sure if she ever left, I gave her a reference, not that she ever planned to leave. It made me very happy to hear. She had also insisted on staying in an office with the rest of editing, on the fourth floor, so she could see who needed what better. It meant my camera crew had to either go upstairs and find her or downstairs and find me, but that's why I insisted on meetings every other week. I knew Danica held meetings with them on the weeks I didn't and she kept me abreast of what was going on. As we walked down the hall towards the offices of legal, we passed Vicki's office and she looked up just in time to see us and call out. "Hey! Wait a minute [y/n]! I need to talk to you." We all paused so she could catch up with us, and Mark pulled me closer to lean on him again. "Sorry to yell like that. I just wanted to catch you when I saw you three walk by. Hi guys. How are you recovering from PAX?"

Jack groaned. "We're still wiped out Vicki. It was a lot ta handle at once. Ye know, between one thing and another. Two or three surprises a day, panels, health scares, signing, and events." I yawned at the same time he did, really starting to feel the drag of exhaustion. 

Vicki winced and nodded. "I'm sorry about the health scare [y/n]. Are you okay? I still am a little unclear about what happened."

I sighed. "I had two ovarian cysts rupture. Medically speaking, I'll recover soon, but there is some internal swelling and a fair amount of tenderness in my abdomen still. And I'm pretty tired still. Like Jack said, a lot has happened in a very short time."

Vicki nodded, then bit her lip, looking anxious. "Now I have to ask this one question. How serious were you when you said you and Mark would leave if Jack had to? I mean, it was just a threat to get legal moving, right?"

I shook my head, leaning on Mark as a wave of dizziness crashed over me again. "Nope. I'll leave for sure. I'm going to meet with legal now. I want to discuss the paperwork I had them start to get me Irish citizenship, as a dual citizen. The girls are all already dual citizens. With all of us dual citizens, Mark would be able to come over, as I mentioned on Jack's panel, under the law and get a VISA and apply for dual citizenship as well." Mark hugged me close. I smiled at him. 

Vicki sighed. "Damn. I was hoping that was just a bluff to get us moving."

Jack looked at her, concerned suddenly. "Why? Is there a problem?"

Vicki looked at Jack for a few seconds, then turned away, not answering. "Talk to legal about it. I don't understand half of what they said is going on."

We nodded and I felt a growing sense of unease, making my nausea worsen substantially. I had to stop and throw up twice on the short walk down the hall. We finally reached the legal department offices and went in. Jack explained why we were there and we were immediately brought back to see several of the lawyers on staff. They had us sit down to talk, so we did, Jack and Mark pulling the chairs as close to me as they could. I wrapped my hands around theirs as we sat and listened to the lawyers start explaining a few of the hurdles they had run into with Jack's VISA. They assured us that it was nothing too serious. I could feel the tension running through Jack as they talked. After they finished we asked some questions, clarified a few things, including that we were perfectly willing to have paternity tests run on the girls if needed, but that we already knew the results. We were informed it might be needed later, but that they onstage proposal was a big help to them as well. I smiled and looked at Jack, then at his ring on my hand, then at my tummy. Time to finish this part. "Well, I have two more topics I want to discuss with you all then. How's my dual citizenship paperwork coming along?"

The head lawyer blinked and shifted some papers. "Everything is filed and we should hear back by the end of next week, but you had everything very clearly organized, birth date, legal status, birth location of your grandfather, and immigration status clearly lined up, and the pertinent laws highlighted for us. It's just a matter of making sure things go through properly and paying the fees, which we've already done."

I nodded firmly. "Good. Now, for the second thing. I'm pregnant again." I looked down for a few seconds. "With multiples. Again."

The legal team exchanged glances for a few seconds looking confused, then realized the implications of what I just said. One of them swallowed. The sole woman of the group smiled at me. "Congratulations. How far along are you?"

I smiled faintly. "Seven weeks, according to the doctors."

She continued to smile and nodded, making some notes. "Great! Now, do you know who the father is?"

I cleared my throat a little. "Uh, the last time, with the girls, Mark fathered two of them and Jack father two. But we didn't know for sure until they were born. With these little beans, we really won't know until then either." Jack's hand went to my tummy, taking mine along as well. We both patted the baby bump just starting to form. Mark's hand went over to it as well. I smiled at both of them. They smiled back.

The lawyer continued. "Okay. Um, how are you so sure about the girls fathers, if I can ask candidly?"

I grinned. "Have you ever seen the girls? Samantha and Stephanie look a lot like Jack. They have his eyes, his ears, his eyebrow shape, poor girls, and his cheekbones. Tiana and Danielle have Mark's eye color, eye shape, and jawline. Actually, they look a lot like small female versions of their daddies, with a few of my features thrown in. And my hair color and complexion." I opened my purse and took out my wallet, showing them pictures. The lawyers all blinked then smiled, relaxing for a minute. "See what I mean? Pretty unmistakable. And I'm sure these babies will be the same."

The head lawyer asked to get copies of the girls pictures to include in Jack's case file. I nodded and Jack grinned, getting out extra copies. I also handed over a copy of the ultrasound, showing all eight of the new babies, circled in bright red marker. The lawyer blinked. "What's this?"

"Our new ultrasound results. The babies are are circled there, so it's clearer."

"But there are eight circles." We nodded. "Eight?! You're carrying octuplets?" We nodded again. The lawyer looked scandalized. "Were you planning that?"

I blinked. "What?!? No! We weren't even planning on having more kids for a few years. Why would we plan things like this?! And why the hell, after all my health issues the first time around, would I want to put myself through worse?" Jack squeezed my hand, trying to soothe me. I was mad though and it barely registered. "I'm already so sick I can barely function and I'm only seven weeks into the pregnancy. I've been throwing up constantly, making everyone worry about me getting dehydrated, not to mention the lack of nutrition. Plus, I'm dizzy all the time and fainting. I'm not a drama queen. How dare you insinuate I'd do something so reckless that might cause my family or me harm."

The lawyer blinked, shrinking back under the fury of my gaze and words. By the end of my little speech, he was almost hiding under the edge of the table. Mark let go of my hand to move it to rest on m shoulder. "Easy babe. We know you didn't plan this. Calm down. You need to stay as stress free as you can for a while. This isn't good for you. Just relax."

I looked at Mark and as the last of the anger cooled in my bloodstream, I felt the overwhelming need to cry. Mark pulled me out of the chair into his lap. Jack moved the empty chair away and scooted closer, rubbing my back and shoulders, leaning into us. The other lawyers looked startled. The woman suddenly grinned and laughed. "Holy shit. That was pretty incredible. I've never seen anyone scare the boss like that, especially since she didn't raise her voice even once. Maybe we should unleash her on the immigration board. Somehow I have the feeling this would disappear pretty fast if she talks to them." Jack and Mark glared at the woman. I continued to cry, trying to pull myself together, but not having any success. I sobbed for several minutes as the lawyers leaned together, discussing the case animatedly in whispered tones. If I hadn't been crying so hard, I might have heard what they said, but I was still too emotional. 

The head lawyer swallowed a few times after I had calmed down and we were facing the team again. He looked at me. "I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to insult you. I was just surprised. And this is going to change the case dramatically. Do you know how this happened?"

I looked down. "Apparently, since I have an irregular cycle, I sometimes release more eggs than normal. I was warned about this when I had my first cyst as a late teenager. It makes tracking my cycle nearly impossible too, so we didn't know I was pregnant when we left. And the eggs all split. If you look closely, there are two sets of triplets and a set of twins. So I released three eggs, our protection failed, and not only did they all get fertilized, they all split into multiples." Jack had his hand on my leg now and gave it a gentle pat, trying to comfort me a little. I looked over at him. He smiled, softly and mouthed 'Love you' then patted my leg again. I swallowed and smiled a little shakily at him. 

The lawyers nodded and made some additional notes. The woman voiced one final question. "So, what are you going to do?"

Mark hugged me closer to him again. "Have the babies. We've been discussing it, a lot. The doctor cleared her, health-wise. We have the money and support. We're going to see what happens." I rested my head against Mark shoulder and closed my eyes, too exhausted to do anything else. "Poor [y/n] is so tired though, we need to cut this short. Any other questions can wait for another time, can't they? We really need to get her home and try to feed her before we put her to bed for the night."

I sighed and shook my head, fighting sleep. "No food. I'm just going to throw up again. I just need sleep. Soon." Jack made a noise, making me open my eyes and look at him. "Jack, I'm serious. I feel like I'm going to throw up just thinking about food. Please. I need my medicine and sleep."

"Alright lass. For now." I nodded against Mark's chest, closing my eyes again. Everyone was quiet for a moment as the lawyers talked for a few more minutes and I drifted off to sleep, unable to handle anything else for a little while. I woke up on our couch at home, wrapped under my blanket, laying in Jack's lap with Dani and Tiana watching me. 

"Daddy, Momma's wake now. Can we ask her now? Pwease?"

I reached up to rub my eyes. "Ask me what Ti?"

Jack gave the girls a look and shook his head. "Tha girls wanted ta ask ye ta sing them a song before bed. I told them not ta wake ye, but they've been watching ye sleep for ten minutes now, hoping ye'd wake up on yer own."

I shook my head gently, barely moving. "I'm sorry girls. If I try to sing, I'm going to throw up all over the place."

Dani made a face. "Eewie. Is it 'cause of tha babies?" I nodded. Dani came over and pointed a finger at my tummy. "Be good for Momma. She's a nice momma. Stop making her so sick aw tha time."

Jack grinned and reached over pulling Dani in for a hug. "Come here little love. Momma can't help being sick. And tha babies can't help making her sick. And I don't think they can hear you yet. They are super teeny tiny."

Dani crossed her arms, looking grouchy. "I no wike it when Momma's sick. Stupid babies."

I smiled gently at her, stroking her hair. "No, not stupid babies. Just tiny. Right now, they are all as small as a blueberry. Can you picture being that small?"

Dani and Tiana looked at me, eyes wide and shook their heads. Tiana came over and patted my tummy gently. "Grow up faster, babies, and stop making Momma sick pwease." I sighed and kissed Tiana on the cheek. 

"Thanks Tiana. It doesn't work like that, but I appreciate the thought. Now, where's Papa?"

Dani giggled. "He carried ye in tha house earwier, sound asweep. And now, he's reading a book with Sam and Steph." Tiana nodded and suddenly raced off. Dani looked at her go. "Momma? Are ye okay? For reaw?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I just feel yucky. Daddy and Papa are helping me feel better, but it's going to take a long time before the babies stop making me sick." I smiled at her. "You girls did the same thing. Now, why don't you go listen to the story with your sisters and go to bed. You look almost as sleepy as me." She smiled and shook her head, fighting it, but yawned. "Go on baby. I'm not going anywhere. Daddy is going to stay here and take good care of me, okay?" She sighed and nodded, walking off slowly to the nursery. I closed my eyes again.

Jack chuckled. "Good job love. They wouldn't listen ta me. Now, back ta sleep. Ye obviously need it." I nodded a little and was back asleep before long.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

The meeting the next day with my department, the editors, writers, and Vicki was bedlam, pure and simple. We had a lot of topics to cover, not the least of which were the things that had been happening at PAX. I pulled Danica aside beforehand to warn her it was going to be a long meeting, so at least she had some idea, and she ordered snacks and drinks for everyone. She raised her eyebrows slightly when I asked for mint tea, but didn't comments. Mark and Jack, who attended these meetings occasionally were both here for this one, sitting next to me on the couch. No one questioned it as unusual, especially since they were a big part of the discussion regarding PAX. Finally, we finished covering most of the business portion of the meeting, which had already taken three hours. I was getting worn out, but knew I had to tell everyone the rest of our news before we broke and I could take a nap. I waited until Vicki cleared her throat and asked if anyone had anything else to discuss this week. I nodded. "Yeah. A bunch of stuff actually, most of which is personal, but will effect the show, Jack, Mark, and I."

Mark grinned and reached over, grabbing my hand. I smiled at him for a second then continued. "So, most of you probably saw Jack's panel by now. If not, you should watch it." I looked around. Quite a few people were grinning at us. "The long and the short of it is Jack proposed to me, on stage." I held up the ring. All eyes went back and forth between it and Jack for a few seconds. "Mark did something similar backstage, but not as formal. It was a promise." I held out the other ring. Everyone blinked and turned to look at Mark. "But that's not all that happened at the panel. We already talked about the issue with Jack's VISA. Jack revealed it to the world at the panel, and I explained our plans and how we are going to deal with things, at least some of it." 

Danica nodded, then growled. "Stop dancing around whatever it is and just tell us. You seem to be leading up to something big."

I smiled and nodded. "Well, yeah. But all the rest of this effects what I'm going to tell you, so wait a minute. You need the whole story or complete picture so you all understand why things are up in the air so much right now." I took a sip of tea to calm my stomach, which was now trying to expel my small breakfast. "Anyway, as you may or may not know, I was hauled off from the convention in an ambulance on the second day of the convention. I had two ovarian cysts that burst, which were incredibly painful. It took several hours to get everything checked out and to figure out what was causing the problem, since it had been a very long time since I had had one." I took a breath, fighting my stomach harder than ever. I had to get through this.

Jack must have sensed my distress, because he came to my rescue. "So while she was getting checked out, we found out she's pregnant again. It's early still, she's only seven weeks along. She's been really, really sick though."

I nodded, holding his hand tightly, swallowing down my nausea. "Yeah. It was so bad, Jack and Mark made me go for an emergency doctor's appointment on Tuesday. That when the other shoe dropped. See, the doctors in Seattle told us it was going to be twins, so we thought we were ready for the ultrasound, but we were wrong. So were they. It's not twins. It's not even quadruplets again. Apparently, I'm having octuplets. All three of us are slightly overwhelmed."

Jack and Mark leaned on me as we watched absolute chaos break out around the room in front of us. Reactions were surprise mostly, but some of the writers were a little angry, and several people were disbelieving until I pulled out the sonogram pictures and showed them around. After everyone was somewhat calm again, I looked over at them. Mark commented to the group "So when she runs off suddenly, or looks over tired, don't take it personally. Morning sickness is kicking her ass right now, even with a strong medicine from the doctor. She can hardly eat. And she's been dizzy and fainting all week long. We're all pretty tired. This has been crazy, this last week or so. And the girls were sick before we left for the convention, and [y/n] was upset about it, so we thought her feeling bad and being run down was from that, not the first symptoms of pregnancy."

I nodded again. "Please be patient with me. I'm trying my best to deal with everything."

Discussion around the table took off, leaving Mark, Jack, and I out of it for a few minutes while everyone shifted plans around. Vicki looked at me and shook her head, amusement on her face. "Well, that explains some things. Okay, listen up. We are obviously going to have to work around [y/n]'s pregnancy. Fine, we've done it before. And we can work it into the plot. We have another pregnancy to consider as well, Mary's. She announced it at the convention too. Now hers may not be as dramatic, but she's still struggling a lot right now. She came to talk to me earlier today about it. So we may have to shift focus a little from some of our ladies for a while. And we should definitely work in elements about Jack's proposal and VISA issues. The fans are going to want to know, and not all of them watch the Twitch streams."

I cleared my throat. "I actually am posting videos from our events on my channel later. And I'm making a pregnancy announcement vlog over the weekend, barring anything coming up that needs immediate attention. I just wanted to tell you all before it was released. I'm going to stay as active in things as I can, but I need to cut back a little again while I deal with this. And before anyone asks, no, we weren't planning anymore kids right now. We were going to wait until the girls were school age."

Everyone nodded and the writers took over the rest of the meeting, discussing the changes that now would have to be made. We adjourned the meeting an hour or so later, when everyone could see I could barely stay awake any long. As soon as they were gone, I curled up on the couch and fell asleep, Jack and Mark staying close by to watch over me, working on social media updates. When I woke back up, it was mid-afternoon. Mark was the first one to notice I was awake. "Hey babe. Here." He handed me one of the lollipops for nausea. I took it and sat up, slowly. "How are you holding up? Think you can face some lunch?"

I thought about it. "Let me wake up a little more and see how much this helps first. Thanks you." Mark came over and hugged me, scooping me up from the couch. "I love you. So much. You have Jack and I worried about you. We know you're doing everything you can to stay healthy, but I swear, all week you haven't eaten enough for two full meals. And we know you're trying. This just sucks."

I nodded and snuggled deeper into his chest, waiting for him to put me down. But he didn't, instead he carried me over to where his computer was set up and sat down, cradling me carefully the whole way. He sat down, again taking great care of me, making sure I didn't fall or get bumped on anything. Jack had been sitting next to Mark while they worked, and now snuggled into both of us, helping prop me up and holding me as well. It was great, but somewhat unexpected at work. Both men just hugged me close and worked around me as I woke back up, slowly shaking the sleep out of my brain. After about half an hour I was feeling more like myself but I didn't move. I was far to comfortable and comforted to disturb things. Jack noticed I was watching him type now and grinned. "So, finally awake all tha way now?" I nodded, but didn't shift positions. He hugged me. "So can ye face food? We got ye some lunch from across tha street, yer favorite cafe. We won't even have ta move ta get it."

I grinned. "Sounds like a great idea. I'll try to eat anyway."

Mark smiled and reached over to the mini-fridge, opening it and pulling out a chicken, strawberry, and spinach salad, some dressing, and a sandwich. He handed them to me and I smiled, setting the salad aside to focus on the sandwich for a minute. It was a turkey and Swiss melt with mushrooms, avocado, a little mustard, and a small stripe of mayo. I started eating very slowly, taking small bites and waiting between bites to make sure nothing was going to come right back up. I managed to finish the sandwich but couldn't face the salad, so I gave it back to Mark to put away for later. He frowned slightly, but didn't say anything. 

Jack, who had also been watching me eat, pulled me over into his lap completely. "Good job love. Ignore Markimoo's grumpy face. Ye can try tha salad later, if tha sandwich stays put, right?" I smiled slightly and nodded, cuddling into Jack more tightly. I nuzzled into his neck. "Hey now. Don't forget, ye are at work." I giggled. "Glad yer feeling better. Ye wanna work on social media? I'll have Mark get yer laptop so ye won't have ta move."

"That would be great." I looked at Mark. "Thanks Mark. And I do promise to try to eat that salad a little while later, if I think I can manage it. Thank you for looking out for me, sweetheart." I turned back to Jack. "You too, Sean. The two of you are taking such good care of me. I can't ever thank you enough."

Jack smiled and patted my shoulder as I sniffled a little, fighting back sudden tears unexpectedly. "Love, we like taking care of ye. Ye usually won't let us. Now, settle back against me, love. Get comfy. Relax." I sniffled a few times and nodded, nuzzling into Jack's neck again. He hugged me and kissed my hair gently. Mark got up and gathered my laptop stuff and brought it over to me, plugging it in and handing it to me. I smiled at him without moving from my spot. Mark laughed at my expression and leaned over and kissed me gently on the forehead. Jack chuckled as he watched. 

I kissed Jack's neck where I was nuzzling, making him growl at me and whisper for me to behave, but I ignored him for a minute, until I felt him gently pull back. I sighed. "Sorry Jack. I'll be good."

He chuckled and lowered his voice. "Ye're always good love. I just don't want ta get all stirred up here at work, when anyone could walk in and see us. Neither of us need the hassle."

I grinned and winked at him. "If only we had someone to send out to watch for us, or a door that locked. Hmm. I wonder where we could find either of these things?"

Mark laughed. "My, my. Can I join in, or is this just between the two of you?"

I growled, playfully and turned to him. "Go lock the doors Mark. Both of them. And thank goodness the two of you are my office neighbors." 

Jack nodded. Mark stood up and headed over to the door for what used to be his office, turning the lights off and locking the door. He grinned at us as we watched. "You can start warming up, if you want. It's sexy and I'll be right there." We nodded and I resumed nibbling Jack's neck and collar bones, making him squirm under me. When I nipped at particularly sensitive spot that I knew he liked, he moaned, sounding wonderfully obscene and I felt him harden under my ass. I grinned and wiggled a little, creating friction and continued to nip and nibble my way around and down his shoulders and chest. We were both lost in the feelings of lust by the time Mark came back over and suddenly lifted me out of Jack's lap, setting all three of our laptops out of the way so no one could accidentally trash one of them. Jack was breathing heavily and his beautiful blue eyes were blown so wide with lust they looked more black than blue in the centers. As soon as Mark lifted me up, Jack whined, then started striping out of his pants, eager to be free of the over tight constraints. Mark, meanwhile was kissing me passionately, making me pant slightly in response. When I broke the kiss to breathe, he set me down on the couch, on top of a blanket that needed washing anyway, and started to strip for Jack and I, who both momentarily paused to watch the show. When he was naked, I pulled him down closer and started running my hands all over him, while grinding against him lightly. Jack snuggled in behind him, also grinding against him gently. Mark moaned, louder than I wanted, so I leaned forward and stopped his mouth and noises by kissing him, deepening the kiss as much as I could. I broke away after a moment to step back to the bathroom. When I returned, I was naked, holding a small bottle of lube, and smiling sassily. I turned the rest of the lights off, making it look like the office was empty from the hall, knowing we had plenty of light from the windows, and didn't really need a lot of light to see anyway. I came over to the couch in a few long strides, reached down, and grabbed Mark, pulling him up into a kiss. Jack moaned a little from the sudden loss of contact with Mark, who he had been rubbing up against until he saw me grinding on Mark, naked , hot, and bothered. When I released Mark's mouth, I leaned down and practically pounced on Jack, kissing him and rubbing on him the same way, forcing him back into a more reclined position. I growled at him when he tried to move, making him grin at me. Mark laughed softly. "Jack, I think she wants to be in charge right now."

I looked up at him and nodded, pulling him down towards me, releasing Jack for a moment and focusing on Mark again. "Hey sexy, get your hot ass over here." Mark complied and I started nipping his chest. Jack took this opportunity to finish stripping and grinned when he saw the bottle of lube. He caught my eye and raised an eyebrow, indicating the lube. "I thought after I was done, the two of you might want some fun together. Or with me. Whatever. Don't pretend the two of you weren't ready to go a few minutes ago. I know what I saw." 

Mark growled at me. I looked back at him. "You stopped. I need more." I grinned and put a finger to his lips, silencing him. He shook my finger off and looked at Jack, his eyes blow just as dark as they could get. "I need a lot more. Sean, please"

Jack grinned at him. "Please what, Mark?"

Mark groaned as I teased his nipples a little. "Oh god baby, right there. I need you both so much right now. I need everything. Please hurry." His hips had started bucking against me, teasing me as well and I was not surprised when he started teasing me, almost entering me then backing up a little. I moaned deep in my throat, making his hips stutter slightly. Jack came over and started gently kissing Mark's neck from behind him, guiding all of us to a new position that the three of us would be able to be comfortable in. Mark started wriggling, pushing into Jack's groin while still teasing me. "Sean, please. I need you inside me. I want to be inside [y/n] with you in my ass, filling me up."

Jack growled and lubed up his fingers and dick, taking a few moments to open Mark up properly while Mark continued to moan and tease me. I was rapidly turning into a moaning mess as well. After Jack had prepped Mark, he suddenly pressed into him, making Mark jump, which pushed him into me. I couldn't help myself and started moving almost immediately. Mark did as well, with a jerking motion, bobbing back and forth between the pleasure in front of him, me, and Jack behind him. When he reached up and suddenly grabbed my oversensitive breasts, it knocked me completely over the edge and my world came apart at the seams as my orgasm crashed over me like a tsunami. I came so hard I actually passed out. Just before I did, I felt Mark orgasming as well., and it looked like Jack wasn't going to be long either. 

I came back to myself to find Jack cleaning me up gently. Mark was already getting dressed again, but looked a bit weak legged. I smiled at both men. "That was fun." Jack grinned at me, still naked. I surprised him by suddenly leaning forward and kissing his stomach, by his belly button, which was right in front of me. He looked at me and blinked, lust filling his eyes again, and he got hard almost immediately. I grinned and reached forward giving him a blowjob before he could move or say a word. Jack's groan made Mark turn around from dressing and drop his remaining clothes on the floor in surprise. He stood, half dressed and watched me sucking Jack off, bobbing my head as I sucked, using one hand on Jack's shaft and the other to gently play with his balls. Jack moaned again as I shifted positions just slightly and focused on the head of his dick, swirling my tongue in a way I knew drove him crazy. Just a few minutes later, Jack was releasing down my throat. His knees buckled after and he nearly fell, but I caught him and lowered him onto the couch, next to me. I looked over at Mark who swallowed convulsively. I grinned. "Your turn?"

Mark shook his head and grabbed his clothes. "No baby. I can't. I still feel to weak from before. You and Jack wore me out already."

I smiled and nodded, curling into Jack's side. He blinked at me, looking sleepy. "Lass, I'm done now too. That was amazing, but I feel all weak and sleepy." 

I chuckled. "Fine. We probably ought to get dressed though Jack. Just in case someone is outside and happens to be able to see through the frosted glass panel on my door." Jack blushed a little and started to try to get up, but collapsed right back, apparently too tired to move right now. I giggled and gathered our clothes, getting dressed again slowly. I was nearly done when a wave of dizziness washed over me, making me nearly fall head first onto the floor. Mark caught me just in time. 

"Easy babe. I got you. What happened?"

"Dizzy. I was reaching down to pick up Jack's shirt. I think I better just sit down for a while."

Jack stood up and gathered his clothes from me getting dressed rather quickly. Mark just held me close, looking worried. When Jack was dressed again, he sat down on one of the couches again, tossing the now disgusting blanket behind the couch and pulled me down into his lap. Mark relaxed a little, gathered the blanket into a bag to take home and wash, then settled on the couch next to us, handing our laptops back to us. We all logged onto social media and were responding to fans when, an hour later, someone pounded on the door. I looked up from my seat in Jack's lap and started to get up, only to be pulled back by Jack, and pushed back into place by Mark, who stood up and walked over to the door, opening it slowly. Bob, Wade, and Felix were standing there. They all pushed their way in and blinked in surprise to see me tucked into Jack's chest on the couch and nothing more. Felix made a face. "Damn. Well, I owe Ken ten dollars. I bet him the three of you were getting kinky in here."

I looked over at the three men as Mark settled back down next to me. I raised an eyebrow. "Can I ask why you thought we were being anything less than professionals at work?"

Wade grinned. "Um. Because the lights were out and the doors were closed. Molly went down and saw your car was still here. We just kind of figured you were, um, occupied. Sorry."

I laughed. "I was napping earlier. Being pregnant makes you tired, guys. Now, did you need something, or were you just trying to embarrass us? Because that isn't working." I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow. All three men grinned, shook their heads, and stepped back out of the room, closing the door again.

I looked at Jack and Mark, holding a finger to my lips and indicating the closed door with my head. We went back to our laptops and were completely unsurprised when ten minutes later a cry of "AHA! Damnit!" came from Felix who had opened the door suddenly once again. I chuckled and turned back to the guys. Jack was grinning at me. 

I leaned my head up and whispered in his ear. "Felix is such a goofball today. Like I'd be dumb enough to get caught. Good thing I had put the bottle of lube in my pocket before they came in the first time though. They might have thought the two of you were getting busy without me." Jack blushed and hushed me, grinning. Mark quirked an eyebrow, so I told him as well. His blush was even brighter than Jack's. I cackled slightly and we all settled in to work again. Before long I decided to try eating the salad and asked Mark to get it out for me. He grinned and handed it over. I put my laptop down, putting it to sleep for now, and settled back more comfortably against Jack again. He smiled and kissed my hair, by my ear. I ate slowly, trying t make sure my stomach could handle the food. After I finished, the nausea rolled over me again, but I managed to keep my stomach in place and opened another lollipop to help. I somehow managed to finish it just as I fell asleep again. I napped the rest of the afternoon away.

When it was time to go home, Mark gently woke me up, then had to carry me to the bathroom to be sick for twenty minutes. Jack watched, distressed. By the time I was done, Jack had gathered all our things to go home, taken them to the car, and was back, rubbing my back gently. I waited a few extra moments without throwing up before I got up and headed out the door. Jack sat in the back with me, holding an emergency bucket, but fortunately I didn't need it for the ride home. I snuggled into Jack's side and closed my eyes to help with the dizziness however. When we pulled up at the house, Jack insisted on carrying me in. I didn't protest, still feeling weak and dizzy. Mark carried our things in and opened doors for us. Jack settled me in the couch, under my silver blanket, kissed my forehead, and headed off to check on the girls. I laid down. I wasn't tired at the moment, but I felt too sick to do anything, so I just turned on Netflix and started watching Star Trek. Before long a little face appeared around the corner and Stephanie came in the room, hugging her favorite stuffed toy, a dragon. "Momma? Is you okay?"

I smiled at her. "I just feel icky baby. Momma's okay. I'm going to lay here quietly and watch a show. Do you want to watch something with me?" Stephanie nodded, pulling a beanbag in bright red over in front of me and settling in I smiled and changed from the show to the movie Tangled. We were watching peacefully when Mark came in a little while later and joined us. When Momiplier called everyone to dinner, I told Mark I was still to sick to eat, so he nodded sadly and took Stephanie to go wash up and eat. I had stopped the movie for dinner and found myself falling asleep yet again in the quiet room. I didn't wake back up until morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long chapter took a long time. Sleepy time now.


	15. Saturday of Chaos

After the week we had been having, Mark, Jack, and I decided we were just going to stay home and do nothing this weekend. Often one, two, or all of us were busy with friends, work, or side projects on weekends, or went to parties with other YouTubers. I told the guys as soon as I woke up and stopped throwing up on Saturday, I wasn't leaving the house all weekend. They readily agreed. Our Moms all agreed to watch the girls as much as we wanted, but I was planning on laying on the couch all weekend, except for bathroom and food breaks. I even planned to record a vlog from the couch. I decided to see if the girls wanted to be in it too, something I had rarely done with all four of them, and was of course going to include the guys. Jack and Mark grinned when I told them the plan, then rounded up the girls to snuggle in our laps. All four of them were excited to have a snuggle day with us, something they all enjoyed, but was relatively rare, simply because we were always so busy. After breakfast, which I managed to eat only a smoothie and two egg whites, I headed to the couch. Jack immediately sat down next to me, cuddling close, and the girls started climbing up into our laps as well, wanting to start the snuggles as soon as possible. I smiled as Dani and Stephanie got settled in my lap, hugging me gently, almost softly, avoiding my abdomen. "Girls, I'm okay. You don't have to avoid my tummy quite that much. The babies can't feel you yet. And as long as you aren't too rough, you can hug me normally. I promise, it's okay."

Dani and Steph grinned, then hugged me more normally. Tiana and Sammi watched for a minute, then leaned over and started hugging me as well. Jack grinned and wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me slightly closer to him and hugging me. Mark grinned when he came in the room. "Well, well. Are we burying Momma in hugs today?" Five heads nodded. I grinned at them. Mark laughed. "Alright then, I'll join you all in just a minute to help. First, I know Momma wants to record a video for her channel with all of us in it. Does that sound fun girls? I'll set the camera up so Momma can start whenever she's ready."

The girls let me go for a minute, looking at each other, then clapped their hands, excitedly. Sammi looked up at me. "Momma, are ye really going ta fiwm us too?" I smiled and nodded. She grinned at me. "Are we going ta be as famous as ye and Papa and Daddy?"

Jack laughed. "Ye probably already are little love. We talk about ye at tha conventions, on our channels, and even on tha TV show sometimes. And tha fans all ask about ye all tha time. We just don't want ye ta have cameras shoved in yer faces all tha time, so we don't record ye all that often."

Dani looked at Jack for a long minute. "How come? Is ye afraid we will get more popuwar than ye, Daddy?"

I laughed. "No girls. We want you to have normal lives, or as normal as we can provide, so we try to keep our work separate from home as much as we can. You just take up so much of our lives, you spill over into work as well. And our viewers all feel like they have known you for a really long time, since before you were born even. I did a video, like I'm going to do today, that let everyone know you were there." I smiled. "Actually, that's how a lot of the people who watch Daddy's and Papa's channels started watching my channel too. Some of Daddy's fans already watched me, but not as many as after I announced you were there."

Dani blinked. "Why?"

I chuckled. "Because people didn't know Daddy, Papa, and I were in love. Actually, they still didn't for a little while after I told them about you, but Daddy and Papa talked about me on their channels, and the four of you, and some people figured it out. Also, Momma has been filming videos with Daddy for that whole time too. I started to make those videos with Daddy the spring almost a year before you were all born. We didn't know the four of you would be joining us until almost Halloween. Then I started to get really sick, my tummy swelled up, and I was tired a lot for a while. And you girls joined us in February, on Daddy's birthday." 

Mark grinned, having come back with the camera, tripod, and remote that allowed us to start or stop the recording. "Yep. We were really surprised. We thought the four of you were going to take longer to get here than you did, so we were barely ready for you in time. Its a good thing Momma plans ahead."

Tiana grinned and patted my arm. "Good Momma. Momma is good aww the time. I wove Momma."

I leaned forward with a smile. "I love you too Tiana. I love all my girls. And Daddy and Papa. And these little babies I'm working on growing, even if they do make me tired and sick right now." I gently passed kisses out to all four girls, on the foreheads, before I sat back up and kissed Jack. Mark smiled and I kissed him as soon as he sat down next to me a moment later, and I rested my head on his shoulder, trying to ease the wave of dizziness that had come over me yet again. He must have noticed based on his reaction.

"Babe? Are you going to be sick, or is it just the dizziness again?"

I sighed. "Just dizzy. Sorry."

Jack leaned against my shoulder, kissing my neck gently. "Love, ye can't help it. We really do understand. Ye don't need ta apologize."

Sammi looked at me and patted my arm now. "Momma sick. Ye don't need ta say sorry for bein' sick, Momma." She looked sad. "I no wike Momma bein' sick though."

Jack reached down and hugged her, pulling her closer, into his arms for a snuggle. Dani climbed into Mark's lap, leaving Tiana and Steph in my lap, snuggling close to me. I smiled at everyone. "I'm okay now. Is everyone comfy?" Nods all around me. "Okay, then lets start this video. Shh, Momma's going to talk first, okay girls? You just snuggle into us and wait. You can talk in a minute, when I finish telling everybody about the babies, okay? And there is going to be a surprise for you in this video as well."

All four girls eyes got big and they smiled, putting fingers to their lips. I grinned and turned the camera on, starting my intro and the video. "Hey people. It's me! [Y/Y/N] here. And I have some of my all time favorite people with me. Of course there is the wonderful and charming Mr. Markiplier himself, and the incredible and amazing JackSepticEye, but these little girls might be unknown to some of you out there, so let me introduce them all properly! This," my hand rested on Stephanie's head, "is my beautiful daughter, Stephanie Eileen McLoughlin-Fischbach. Her identical twin sister is in their daddies arms. Jack, hold Sammi so our audience can meet her please. Samantha Alanna McLoughlin-Fischbach, or as we call her, Sammi or Sam. And of course, Mark's and my daughters are here as well, Danielle Melody McLoughlin-Fischbach is snuggling me here, "I touched her head, making her look up at me with a smile "and Mark is snuggling Tiana Esmeralda McLoughlin-Fischbach. But all four girls are our little princesses, as you regular viewers know. It's been a while since everybody was in a video together, so I wanted to make this one extra special. As some of you know, Jack and I recently got engaged to be married. I want to make it clear, Mark and I are still very much in love and very much together. Nothing major is going to change because of this proposal. And in case some of you have noticed the lovely rings, this one" I held my hand up and zoomed the camera in "is from Jack." I smiled at him and kissed his cheek, sweetly, taking care not to dislodge any of the girls who were cuddled into us. "Thank you Jack." I turned back to the camera for a minute. "And Mark and I had a separate moment, similar in nature, but not as formal, in which we promised to love each other. He gave me this ring." I held my other hand up, once again zooming in on my hand before zooming back out to focus on all of us. I leaned over and kissed Mark on the cheek as well. "Thank you, too, Mark."

They both grinned at me. Mark winked at the camera. "Anything for you babe. Especially now. Now, quit stalling and tell the viewers the rest of the news. I'm sure they didn't tune in just to watch us cuddle you." 

I shook my head. "Maark! Stop taking over my vlog! The girls are being better behaved than you right now." I turned back to the camera. "Sorry. Mark's just excited, folks. We have lots of news to share today, so I'll get moving on to the next part. Now, as many of you might also know, Jack is having some issues with his VISA renewal, so we are making lots of backup plans in case Jack has to go back to Ireland. The girls are all dual citizens of both countries. I'm in the process of getting my dual citizenship granted now. We will go with Jack if he gets sent back to Ireland and Mark will apply for dual citizenship based on the fact that the rest of us are Irish citizens, under the Family Reunification Act. Now, that would mean we would have to leave the TV show, at least until we could get Jack's immigration status fixed. Just so no one is totally surprised if that happens, we wanted to share this news. We don't expect this to happen, or be necessary, but I like to prepare for things and have as many backups as I can in place so life runs more smoothly. After all, we have had a lot of surprises since we've been working together. And we just had another one, too. While we were at PAX, we had another big surprise as well. I had a medical emergency and had to go to the hospital. Now before anyone panics, I'm okay! I had two ovarian cysts rupture. While I was at the hospital getting that checked out, we found out I'm pregnant again. I'm seven weeks along, so it's still early, but I couldn't wait to share this news with everyone. And this time is going to be just as crazy as last time, or maybe even more so." I looked at the girls, smiling. "I love my girls, but as you all know, it was a hard pregnancy with four babies and a heart condition. And I may not have a heart condition anymore, but this time it's crazy for a slightly different reason. Mark and Jack and I got a really big surprise when we went back to the doctor on Tuesday. We saw eight little dots on the ultrasound. Eight babies."

Sammi looked at me. "Momma? Does that mean we're gonna have eight wittwe brothers or sisters?"

I smiled at her. "Yes, baby, it does. That's why I'm so sick all the time too. There are a LOT of babies in there."

Tiana looked at my tummy. "Hows they all fit, Momma?"

I chuckled. "Its going to be crowded. And Momma's belly is going to be enormous. So snuggle in close now, because before long, Momma's not going to have a lap to sit in."

Jack leaned in and kissed me. "But Mark and I will still love ye, no matter how big ye get. And so will tha girls, right lasses?"

There was a chorus of yeses from the girls, and all four of them dived into me, hugging me as tight as they could. I rested hands on each of their heads for a few moments before I moved on and looked back up at the camera. "So, yeah. The family is growing again. And I wanted to make sure everyone knew about this as soon as we could tell you. We have talked about a lot of things on the channel together over the course of the last few years and I feel like all of you are friends and family, so I want to bring you along on this journey, just like last time. Now, last time there were a lot of demands from you to provide personal information I wasn't willing to share. This time around, please respect our privacy. We will share a lot of information across all our channels, but you don't get to know every detail of our private lives." I looked at Jack and Mark.

Mark grinned. "You heard her. Don't be obnoxious. We will unleash the full fury of the hormonal storm she's experiencing if we see people getting out of line. She actually is dealing with things pretty well, but yesterday when she met with the lawyers, she scared one of them until he had to hide under the table. So we know she can keep you in check."

Jack shook his head as I blushed brightly and buried my head in his side. "Easy love. Mark, don't be an ass. Now, little loves, do ye have anything ta tell our viewers before we say goodbye for now?"

Dani piped up. "Hewwo viewers! I wove ye for watching Momma, Papa, and Daddy! Smoochies! *MWAH! MWAH!*"

Stephanie grinned. "Me too! *Mwah!* Smoochies for everyone! *MWAH!*" She turned to Mark. "Papa, I need to go potty now. Can you take me?"

Mark smiled and stood up. "Of course, baby. Anyone else need to go potty?"

Tiana squirmed. "Me. Bye Bye viewers. Smoochies! *MWAH!*"

Sammi peeked at the camera. "Bye Bye! Be good for Momma. She's sick. It bad when Momma sick. Now, Papa and Daddy need ta hewp her feew better. Smoochies! *MWAH! MWAH!* Wove ye aw!"

I smiled and looked back at the camera. "Thank you girls. And thank you Mark and Jack. Well, that's all for today. I love you all, so until next time, I'm [Y/Y/N] saying, be kind to one another and remember a smile can change someone's day for the better. Love ya all! *Mwah* Bye!" I pushed the button to end the video.

Jack grinned at me. "Well love, I just figured out where tha girls got tha smoochies from." I raised an eyebrow. "They were copying their Momma's outro." I grinned and snuggled into Jack's side, rubbing Sam's back and hugging Dani with the other arm. Dani climbed in my lap and snuggled as close as she could. Jack reached over and stroked her hair. "Ye girls did a really good job. Now Momma's viewers can see how cute ye are. Although they might want ta see more of ye now that they know how good ye can be. And my fans are going ta love ye too."

Dani leaned forward a little and hugged Jack, then settled back against me and looked up at me. "Momma? What are tha new babies going ta look like?"

I smiled down at her and cupped her chin, drawing her up and rubbing her nose with my own. "No one knows sweetie. The babies are going to take a long time to grow big enough to see, to get pictures, or meet. We'll have to wait until they are born to see them properly, and even then they are going to change pretty fast. You girls didn't look the same for very long until you were about three months old. Do you want to see the first pictures we have of you?"

Sammi and Dani nodded. "As long as ye don't have ta move, Momma. Can ye show us from where we all are? I want ta keep snuggling ye and Daddy. And ye look sleepy again Momma. Ye should take a nap soon."

Jack grinned. "Tha lass is right love. Ye do look tired. Are ye feeling okay?"

I sighed. "I'll be okay. I'm just feeling a little dizzy and queasy, but the medicines are helping. I am going to take a nap in a little while though, if everybody is okay with it. I want to snuggle with everyone now though. And maybe we can listen to a story? Papa can bring back both the pictures and the books to read when he comes back. How does that sound?"

Dani nodded. "Good plan Momma. Ye're smart." I smiled and texted Mark, who I knew had his phone in his pocket. I smiled at the message he sent back, telling me not to move and he would be back soon with the books and photo albums. I rested my head on Jack's shoulder again and closed my eyes. I felt feather-light lips brush my forehead, but didn't open my eyes, just resting and enjoying the moment. When Mark came back in and sat down, I had nearly fallen asleep. I opened my eyes and smiled sleepily at him. Dani grinned. "Shh. Close yer eyes again Momma. We can let ye sleep."

I shook my head, sitting up, making Jack whine. "I'm awake guys. Really. Now, I want to look at those pictures with you. Then, maybe, I'll lean on Daddy or Papa and close my eyes again while one of them reads. Okay?"

Mark smiled and kissed me softly. "Okay. But we're all going to hold you to that, right girls?" All four heads nodded. Tiana snuggled into Mark's chest, curling up close. Stephanie sat between Mark and I, leaning into both of us with a huge smile on her face. Dani and Sammi just stayed where they were. Jack leaned over and put his head on my shoulder. I looked at him and smiled softly. Mark handed me the photo album and rested his head on my other shoulder. 

I chuckled a little. "Well, okay. Is everyone ready? We can also look at the pictures we have on our phones and internet accounts on the TV. But let's start with the photo album. Now, girls, these pictures start with the pictures of Momma before she had you and the ultrasound pictures the doctors took of you in my tummy. We have a picture of your little brothers or sisters, or brothers and sisters, and we will start an album, just like this one we have for you four." I patted the front of the album, gently. Then I opened it up slowly. We looked at the pictures, starting with one of me in my Halloween costume, the Fairy Queen, and Jack and Mark, after that Halloween party. I smiled and looked at the girls who were wide eyed and curious. "We took this picture just after we found out the four of you were there, at Halloween. Momma had a tiny baby bump then, kind of like now. In fact, Momma is going to have Daddy and Papa take another picture just like that one this weekend. Do you girls want to be in it too?"

All four girls clapped and nodded, looking back and forth between each other, me, and the guys. Mark smiled. "Calm down girls. We're going to wait to do that until later, after Momma gets some more sleep. Now, let's go back to the pictures, okay? We have lots of them to look at." I grinned at him. Mark smiled back and moved one hand, resting it on my abdomen, on the small baby bump forming there. As he gently rubbed the spot, I felt four small hands reach out, very gently, and pat the area around Mark's hand, and one larger hand, belonging to Jack, settle on the baby bump as well, on his side. I looked down and smiled. "Next picture, please, Momma." I flipped the page and we saw the very first ultrasound picture, in all it's grey and blurry glory. We explained it to the girls, pointing to the tiny dots that indicated where they were at the time. 

After they all looked at that, I pulled out the new baby ultrasound picture and showed the girls, pointing to the tiny dots of their siblings. "These are what the babies looked like when Momma was at the doctor earlier this week girls. See? That's how tiny they all are. Pretty soon though, they are going to grow, a lot. Just like you four did. Let's keep looking, so you can see what I mean." I flipped the page and we saw pictures from Thanksgiving. A few pages later, there were pictures from Christmas. Then New Year's. The charity livestream in Cincinnati. Moving into the new house. I paused with a soft smile. The girls were staring open mouthed at the last picture. "Momma had a pretty big belly, didn't she? That was at the end of January, only a few weeks before you were born. Poor Daddy and Papa had to carry me everywhere, even to the potty, because I wasn't allowed to go alone. Then it was time for Daddy's birthday." I smiled and turned the page to the single picture we had of breakfast that morning. The next picture was of the girls in their hospital beds, teeny tiny little baby faces crunched up from being born. There were also a number of pictures of Mark, Jack, Dan, Bob, Wade, Arin, Suzy, Ma, Pa, Mom, Dee, and Momiplier holding them. The girls were fascinated. 

"Momma?"

"Yes, Sam?"

"Who's that?" She pointed to one of the babies, making me smile.

I looked closer. "That's Dani. She was so little then, wasn't she? That's what I mean about the babies growing and changing a lot pretty fast. These pictures are all of you four girls on the day you were born." I flipped the page. Pictures changed quickly, documenting being the girls home from the hospital, milestones, and lots and lots of sweet and precious moments and memories for Jack, Mark, and I. The girls all seemed amazed. 

Dani looked at me. "Wow, Momma. You was right. Babies change fast."

Mark grinned. "And you four are still our babies, even if you are getting bigger. You'll always be our babies."

Momiplier had walked up behind us, from the kitchen, without our noticing, and chuckled when Mark said that. He jumped a little, startled. "Sorry to startle you Mark. I was just thinking the same thing about you. You'll always be my baby too." She sighed. "I can barely believe my baby has four babies already and more on the way."

Tiana looked at Momiplier and grinned. "Nana, we's wooking at pictures. Momma's 'splaining 'bout the babies in her tummy and how much they's going ta grow. Then she showed us pictures of how much we growed. Was Papa ever that tiny?"

I bit my cheek to keep from laughing. Momiplier's eyes twinkled as she answered. "Yep. Your daddies were both small a long time ago. Your Momma too, but I didn't know your Momma or Daddy until later, after they were all grown up."

Mom spoke up from the doorway. "Well, actually girls, your Momma was always kind of big for her age. I'll have to show you all the pictures I have of her sometime, from when she was younger."

I blushed a little. Jack grinned at me. "So ye always had tha height advantage love?"

I laughed then leaned over and kissed him. "Yup. Maybe not always as much of one as I have against you and Mark, but yes, I was always tall for my age." My eyes clouded a little as I remembered some of the teasing and bullying I had gotten about my height when I was in school and I shivered a little.

Four little bodies hugged me tight and two bigger ones wrapped arms around me as well. "Babe? You okay there? Are you cold? Lets get you under your blanket, snuggled up tight."

Jack, who had seen my face, lifted a hand and rubbed my cheek. "Love, tha past is over. Ye need ta let tha bad parts go as much as ye can. For tha future. For tha babies." I nodded and rested my head on his shoulder, curling into his side as much as I could, clearing my mind. Mark came back with my blanket and wrapped me up. Then he leaned against me, offering warmth and support. I smiled at him, without moving much, and took a few calming breaths, closing my eyes. I felt Mark reach up and start rubbing my shoulders and I fell asleep before I could even gather the strength to thank him.

When I woke up, I immediately started throwing up again, barely getting the bucket up in time. Everyone else was gone from the room. I threw up and dry heaved for a long time, what felt like hours, but was really probably only twenty or thirty minutes. When I finally stopped, I laid back, feeling too weak to move. I tried calling out to see if anyone was close enough to hear me. "Hello? Is anyone around?"

Jack came in right away. "Love? Did ye need something? Tha girls are napping, so Mark and I were picking up tha toys and neatening up a bit." He stepped closer and saw the bucket. "Oh lass. Ye were sick again. I'm sorry. Here, let me take that and clean it up. Will ye be okay by yerself for a few minutes, or do ye want me ta get Mark ta come keep ye company?"

I moaned. "Please get Mark. I really don't feel good. And I feel weak. I think something's wrong. I need to go get medical attention, I think."

Jack blinked. "Okay love. Try ta stay calm. I'll be right back." Jack walked out of the room at a fast walk, nearly a run. He was back with Mark in mere moments, also holding a clean bucket and my shoes and purse. "Love, can ye sit up?"

I tried, but I was too weak. I only managed to lift my head and shoulders about three inches and had to collapse back on the cushion after only a few seconds. I started crying, scared beyond belief. Mark came over and picked me up gently, frowning a little. "Come on Jack. Our mothers are in kitchen. We need to go tell them what's going on, then we are going to the hospital. This isn't normal or good." Mark looked at me. "Babe, I think this is because you can't keep any food down. We need to get you checked out as soon as we can."

I nodded and leaned into Mark's warm chest, all the movement I had strength for at the moment. Jack had run into the kitchen and now came racing back out, followed closely by Mom, Dee, and Momiplier. They reassured us they would watch the girls and practically pushed Mark out the door, holding me close. Mark handed me over to Jack for the car ride and got the car started. Jack settled me in the seat, in his lap. I cuddled into him and either fell back asleep or passed out, I was never sure which later, not waking back up until we were in the emergency room and the doctor was looking me over. After listening carefully, checking all my vitals, and ordering some blood work, the doctor admitted me, starting me on an IV drip of fluids right away and advising me I would probably be needing medicine to prevent me from throwing up that was substantially stronger than what I had been on. I nodded, resigned to spending another day in the hospital. 

The tests took hours, and after they were all run, the conclusion was that I was malnourished and severely dehydrated from throwing up constantly. The doctors told me I could go home as soon as my fluid levels were back up and stable and I had eaten. In the meantime, they started me on a different, much stronger anti-nausea medication. Jack and Mark called everyone and let them know what was going on, and Mark ran home to get some clean clothes for me as well as my ebook reader and laptop when it became clear I was going to have to spend at least one night here. Jack stayed with me the whole time, keeping me company and helping me keep my spirits up, even though I felt useless. Jack snuggled close to me on the bed, rubbing my tiny baby bump, talking to me for a long time, telling me stories about his childhood, his fans, and just all kinds of things, hoping to distract me from my problems and make me feel better. And it kind of worked, distracting me enough to fall back asleep, comforted by his voice and his presence more than what he was saying.


	16. Recovering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You get over being sick, somewhat. Do the new medicines help? Or are you going to end up right back in the hospital, dehydrated and malnourished again?

I was grumpy and out of sorts for most of the time I was in the hospital, mainly because I felt so bad and was uncomfortable from the tubes, wires, and IV. Jack was a rock star, staying with me and comforting me as much as he could, no matter how cranky I got. Mark was amazing too, running and getting me things, soothing my frayed nerves, and tending to me when I was throwing up, despite the medicine the doctors gave me. I ended up having to stay in the hospital for four days, too weak to move most of that time. The doctors were concerned because I was so dehydrated it was hard to get me back to normal, but the IV fluids and the copious amounts of drinks that everyone was making me drink eventually caught me up, and the doctors finally found a medicine that stopped the morning sickness enough for me to eat a few meals before I went home. Jack and Mark were told to watch me closely for any signs of dehydration or weakness that could be symptoms of malnutrition, making me grumble a little, but mostly I was just happy to be allowed to leave. 

The girls all came running up to us as soon as we got in the front door, clinging to me as soon as Mark helped me to the couch. I cuddled with them all for a solid hour, until they decided to go play and let me rest. I was still feeling very tired, but most of the extreme exhaustion from PAX was over. Jack and Mark, who had been watching, smiled and came over to cuddle with me after the girls headed for the nursery. Mom, Dee, and Momiplier had all come out to say hello at various times, but headed back to what they were doing after they saw I was just resting with the girls, or later the guys. Mark wrapped my blanket around me, pulling it up so he and Jack were covered as well, and made me lean onto his shoulder and close my eyes, taking a short nap. When I woke back up, Mom was sitting in the recliner next to me and everyone else had left. Mark had laid me down, with pillows under my head, and tucked me in under my blanket sometime while I was asleep, without waking me. Mom smiled when she saw my eyes open. "Hey baby, how are you doing today?"

"Hi Mom. I'm doing better than I was. The medicines the doctors have me on now are helping with the morning sickness. I still feel vaguely nauseous, and I've been throwing up in the mornings when I wake up still, but other than that, I can usually keep it under control now. At least for the last two days. And the dizziness is still a problem. Jack and Mark have been amazing, as always. How did the girls behave?"

Mom smiled, reaching over and stroking my hair. "They were worried about their Momma. We all were. And Dani and Stephanie kept asking when you and Jack were coming home. Mark stopped by everyday, at least for a little while, so the girls got to see him and make sure he was okay." Mom's hand stilled in my hair for a minute. "Sweetie, I'm glad you're letting Jack and Mark take care of you. Please don't fight the help this time around. You're going to need it. Are you three still planning on trying to keep all the babies?"

I blinked. "I think so. I mean, we haven't really talked about it since we made the decision before I went in the hospital. I haven't changed my mind. I just have to make sure I follow all the doctors orders. And right now, that means drinking a lot of extra fluids, resting as much as I can, and going slow. We called Vicki and got the rest of the week off, but I need to go in for at least part of the week next week to film. Same with Jack and Mark." I sighed. "And Mom, I'm not fighting anyone's help for now. I mean, this was scary. I was so weak I couldn't even sit up on my own."

Mom's hand gently resumed stroking my hair. "Well, just lay back and rest for now then. Do you want a book? And what do you want to drink? We need to get you something."

I smiled a half smile. "How about some apple juice? It seems to be calming for my stomach, and helps with the nutrition issues. And if you could hand me my ebook reader, that would be great. I don't want to get up and move around a lot unless I absolutely have to. Moving around always makes the dizziness and nausea worse."

Mom smiled and nodded, getting up, handing me my ebook reader, and heading for the kitchen. She came back with an enormous glass of apple juice and a straw a minute later, as well as a pitcher of water that she set down next to me on the floor, out of the way but still close enough for either of us to reach. I started drinking the juice, sipping slowly to help prevent stomach troubles, and managed to drink about half the glass before I set it down, done for the moment. Mom smiled at me again and moved the glass to the table, placing it on a coaster. She went back to the book she was reading before I woke up as soon as she saw me start reading as well. I didn't get very far before Mark came in and lifted me up, moving the pillows, then settling me in his lap. "Hey babe. How's my favorite lady? Did you have a good nap? Jack and I went in and had a tea party with the girls and we tried to make sure they were quiet after you fell asleep."

I smiled and snuggled into his chest. "Thanks Markimoo. I feel a lot better than I did when I was in the hospital. Mom got me some juice, and I drank about half of it just a minute ago. I was just going to read for a little while, but if you want to do something with me, let me know. As long as we don't have to move, I'm willing, probably. And thank you so much for being patient with me this week. I know I was cranky. The IV really made my arm hurt and between that and feeling sick, I was a mess. The hormones are really kicking my butt too."

Mark grinned and kissed my shoulder. "Hey, you can't help it. Jack and I understand. Honestly, we feel a little bad about putting you in this situation, so we can handle some crankiness. Mostly you were fine. Now, just settle in against me, I want to cuddle. It was hard to snuggle with you in the hospital, hooked up to all those machines. Jack and I missed having you close."

I nodded and wrapped my arms around him. "I missed snuggling you both too. And I missed the girls, which is why they got first cuddles when we came in. Honestly, that and being so weak were the hardest things about being in the hospital." I leaned into him a little more and kissed him softly. "Love you Mark."

He smiled, looking sentimental and sweet as he returned my kiss. "I love you too. A lot. Now, do you want to go back to your book? I can just sit here and take a nap or relax if you want to read. Or we can talk some more. Or watch TV. What sounds good?"

I grinned a sassy grin. "Well, what I want to do, we can't do here on the couch in front of Mom." Mark blushed and ducked his head, grinning. 

Mom laughed. "Glad to hear you're feeling better, sweetie. Clearly if you're feeling frisky, you must be getting back to feeling more like yourself."

I laughed and nodded. "Pretty much. I mean, I still feel sick if I move around, but mostly I feel better. And I really did miss being able to cuddle, snuggle, or touch Mark and Jack very much in the hospital. Mostly all we could do was hold hands, and I'm used to a lot more closeness. I couldn't even sit up and kiss them properly for a while. Unlike now." I pulled Mark back in for another kiss, extending it into a long, sweet kiss, which we stopped only to breathe. 

Mark rested his head on me. "I'm so relieved you feel better babe. That was scary for all of us. Now, you better behave. Your mother is right there. I doubt she wants to watch us make out like a couple of teenagers."

I giggled, then leaned over and whispered in his ear. "But Mark, I've done worse in front of her. And in front of your Mom. Remember when you and Jack landed after Thanksgiving, and Thomas and Julie were coming over for dinner?"

Mark chuckled and growled, whispering back. "Yes. I remember very clearly. Behave yourself, or I'll leave you all alone on this couch, with no snuggles."

I pretended to pout. "Nooo! Not that! Anything but that!" We laughed, but I settled down, just curling into Mark's warm presence and getting comfortable. Dani and Sammi came out of the nursery a few minutes later, holding hands and skipping. They grinned when they saw me awake, sitting in their Papa's lap. "Hi girls."

"Hi Momma! We was going ta ask Papa ta play with us and tha doggos, but he wooks busy. We can wait." Dani smiled at us. "Ye wook wike ye feel better too Momma."

I nodded, making a gesture to get them to come over closer, and they climbed up on the couch next to us, hugging me, then Mark. Sammi looked at me. "Momma? How come ye wook different? Yer stomach is getting aww hard and bumping out."

I smiled and grabbed her hand. "That's where the babies are growing, in my tummy. And Momma lost a little bit of weight while I was sick, so the baby bump looks bigger. But my baby belly is going to get big fast now. Are you excited about having some new brothers or sisters?"

Dani tilted her head. "I dunno. I wike Ti, Sam, and Steph."

Mark grinned. "Sweetie, they will still be your sisters. You'll just have more. No one is going away. And the new babies will be tiny for a long time, so you'll have to help us teach them things like how to sit up, how to talk, how to crawl, how to walk, and how to help us. When they first get here, they won't be able to do anything for themselves. All they will be able to do is eat, poop, cry, and sleep."

Sammi made a face. "Ewwie. Wiw they have ta wear diapers?" We nodded at her. "I no wike diapers. I's a big girw. No diapers for me!"

I chuckled. "Nope. All four of my wonderful big girls don't need diapers anymore. Now, do you want to sit here with Papa and I and snuggle us? Or do you want to go play some more?"

Dani grinned and scooted over close to me, wrapping her arms around Mark. "Snuggles! Aww tha snuggles!"

Sammi jumped down and ran around to sit on our other side. "Nuh-uh! I gets snuggwes too Dani!"

I laughed. "Girls, calm down. We can all snuggle. Trust me, Momma and Papa are big enough to share. Before long Momma will be big enough to share snuggles with all four of you all by myself." I sighed. 

Mark hugged me tighter. "Babe, that's not true. I mean it. We'll love you no matter how big these babies make you."

The girls both wrapped arms around me, nodding. "Good Momma. We wove ye wots! Ye just have wots and wots of babies in yer tummy."

"Thanks Sammi. I love you too. And your sisters. And your Papa and Daddy. And Chica and Steve. And all the Grandmas, Grampa, and all your aunts and uncles." I smiled.

Sammi grinned. "That's a wot of people Momma."

I nodded. "I know. Good thing Momma has a big heart then, huh?"

The girls both nodded. Mark kissed my shoulder lightly. "You girls are lucky. Your Momma is a very lovable and loving person. Daddy and I are extremely lucky too."

Jack walked in just as Mark finished this assertion. He grinned as he saw us all on the couch. "And why am I lucky Mark?"

"Because our sweet, sweet love here, the Momma of our babies, is so loving and lovable. She was just talking to Sammi and Dani about the new babies and how much she loves them, the girls, us, our parents, our families and friends, and the dogs."

Jack came over, lifting Dani into his lap and sitting down next to Mark, snuggling in close to us. "Well, ye're right about that. She is a sweet lass, lovable, and completely beautiful, with a very loving heart." He leaned forward and gave me a kiss. "And I love her very, very much too. And ye, Mark. And Sammi, Dani, Stephie, and Ti. And Chica and Steve." He smiled. "And all our friends and family." He patted Dani's back and kissed me again. "But yer Momma and Papa and ye girls, I love an extra lot."

Dani giggled and hugged him hard. "Wove ye too Daddy! Now we's aww gonna snuggle with Momma, right?"

Jack grinned at her. "Yep. Time for snuggles with Momma." Sammi and Dani sighed and snuggled in closer to me again. Jack leaned on Mark and rested one hand on my baby bump, smiling at me, and the other hand on Dani's head, stroking her hair gently. Mark was smiling as well and rested one hand on Sammi's back and one hand on my baby bump, next to Jack's. I looked up at Mom just in time to see her wipe a small tear from her eye, smiling hugely. I raised an eyebrow at her.

"You all look so happy and adorable together, sitting there like that." She sniffed a little. "Now, where are my other grandbabies? I need to go snuggle with them, or at least play with them."

Jack smiled at her. "In tha nursery, playing with their Grammy. I'm sure Dee will share though."

Mom grinned, jumped up, kissed my forehead, patted everyone on the head, and ran off for the nursery. I smiled as she left. We all settled back a little more comfortably. We cuddled together for quite a while before the girls started to shift, clearly getting bored. I smiled at them. "Girls, do you need to go potty?" They shook their heads. I sighed. "Are you bored? You can go play with the grandmas if you want."

Sammi looked at me sadly. "I wanna stay with ye, Momma. But I wanna do something too."

I looked at her. "Hmm. Maybe we could all read a book together?" The girls perked up a little. "Okay, who wants to go get one for us to read?"

Dani whined a little. "No. No one shouwd move. We aww stay here. No moving."

I sighed. Mark patted my back. "Girls, don't give Momma a hard time. If you want to read, we need a book."

Jack smiled. "Why don't we watch a show instead. Then we can all stay here. Does that work for ye, girls?"

Dani and Sammi clapped. "Yeah! Daddy's so smart! Thank ye Daddy!" Both girls cheered or him. Jack grinned and turned the TV on, putting on a Disney movie. The girls squealed again and settled back, curling up into their daddies laps, leaning on me. I leaned back into Mark a little more and Jack leaned over, resting his head on our shoulders. It was so restful that Jack and I both fell asleep before long. I woke up to Momiplier calling us for lunch. I groaned and shifted just slightly. The girls both jumped up and ran in the kitchen. Jack was still asleep, so I leaned over and gave him a gentle kiss. He opened his eyes slowly, smiling.

"Am I dreaming still, or is my lovely fiancee kissing me awake?"

I grinned. "Sean, sweetie, you're not dreaming. Momiplier just called everyone to lunch. Are you coming too, or do you want to go back to sleep for a little while and eat later?"

Jack blinked a few times and yawned, then stretched sleepily. "Are ye coming ta eat, love?" 

I nodded, then frowned a little. "As long as my stomach can stand it. I know I need to eat, and I'm really not feeling as sick, as long as I don't move around a lot."

Mark grinned. "Then we'll just have to make sure you stay still, won't we Jack? Come on babe, let's go get some food. Mom's been cooking all morning, and I suspect she made you chicken and dumplings, her cure-all." with that, Mark stood up, scooping me up in his arms, carrying me bridal-style, into the kitchen where Mom was helping the girls get into their high chairs. All four girls giggled wildly at the sight of Mark carrying me, and me clinging to Mark's neck trying to help him as much as I could. Jack walked in behind us, smiling and scooted in next to me as soon as Mark set me down in a seat. Then Mark claimed the seat on the other side, and both men leaned in kissing my cheeks. "That's better, isn't it [y/n]? No moving need for you."

I sighed. "Mark, I appreciate the thought, but you know, I really can walk if I need to. You and Jack don't need to carry me everywhere again, at least not yet."

Tiana looked at me funny. "Momma? What do you mean? When did Daddy and Papa has to carry you everywhere? And how come?"

Jack grinned at her. "Well, little love, when yer Momma was pregnant with ye four, she had some problems with her heart. Because of that, Papa and Daddy had ta carry her around or she had ta ride in a wheelchair. And since yer Momma likes ta do things for herself, she didn't like it very much."

Stephanie wrinkled her nose. "Wasn't she heavy Daddy? Her tummy looked huge in tha pictures."

I groaned, laying my head on the table, blushing brightly. Mark winked at me. "Not that heavy baby. Besides, she needed us, and your Daddy and I are strong." They flexed their muscles, making the girls giggle and make muscles of their own. Mark put a hand on my back. "Momma's strong too, just in different ways sometimes."

Momiplier smiled at Mark and set bowls of food down for the girls, starting with Sammi and Dani, who grinned and yelled "CHICKY N' DUMPINGS!!! YUMMY!" and dove in, fingers first before they remembered their spoons. Momiplier grinned at the enthusiasm. "Careful girls, it might still be hot." Tiana and Stephanie both picked up their spoons and took bites out, blowing on them just a little too hard to cool them down, making half the food fall back into the bowl. We all watched fondly. Momiplier brought over the pot for the table and bowls for the grown ups, passing them out along with spoons, salads, and bread. I passed on everything but the chicken and dumplings to start, taking a moderate amount to start. Jack and Mark both smiled at me, watching me eat. The rubbed my back all throughout lunch just making sure I was okay and felt the support they were wordlessly offering. I ended up eating a second small bowl and a slice of bread, much to all the adults delight. The grandmas shooed us out after Jack and Mark finished eating, telling them for the rest of their stay, the only thing they needed to worry about was taking care of me and the unborn babies. I blushed brightly at this, but thanked them all. Jack scooped me up as soon as he got up, carrying me out to the couch again, even as I finished eating my bread. He made me drink another big glass of water and cuddled me laying down next to me and rubbing my baby bump gently. I was a little surprised by how much more pronounced it was when I laid down. The last time I had really looked, before I was in the hospital, it was hard to see, even naked. Now, less than a week later, at barely eight weeks pregnant, it was visible with my clothes on, if still tiny. I looked more like four and a half months pregnant of so. I sighed again. 

Jack looked at me. "Love, what was that big sigh for?" 

Mark, who had followed us just a minute behind, lifted the two of us up just enough to slide in behind our heads, so we were now resting with me in his lap and Jack against his stomach on the side. "Yeah babe, what's wrong?"

I looked a little ruefully at my belly. "I just noticed how big my baby bump is already and was just thinking how fast I'm going to outgrow all my maternity clothes again. At least I still have a lot of them form the last time around. I think we're still going to have to buy some, especially later when I get really huge, but at least for the beginning I'll be good. I just can't believe I already look pregnant."

Jack kissed me gently. "But ye're beautiful love. Yer baby bump is sexy as hell ta Mark and I." I looked at him and saw he was being serious and he definitely had a look of lust in his eyes as he looked back at me. I smiled a little then and kissed him back. He growled a little and waggled his eyebrows at me, making me giggle. Mark rested a hand on Jack's shoulder, wordlessly telling him to calm down. Jack sighed then. We all settled back down, thinking. I was thinking about the TV show, the babies, and Jack's VISA issues, worrying and going over alternate plans and ideas to keep us together and life running smoothly. Suddenly, Skype sounded on my phone. Jack picked up after seeing it was Ma. "Hi Ma. What's up?" "Yes, tha offer still stands." "Ye want ta fly out when? Okay, okay, calm down." "Listen, ye and Pa book tha flight. We'll give ye tha money when ye get here." "No, Ma. We insist. Yer coming ta help us. Of course we're paying ye back for tha tickets." "No, she's out of tha hospital now. We're all home. We're snuggling and trying ta relax on tha couch." "Yes, Ma. Mark and I are taking care of her. Mark's mother, step-mom, and her mom are here helping too. And our friends are stopping by regularly ta help as well." "No. She's still really sick from tha morning sickness. She's on a better medicine, but she's still not able ta eat much. And she's sleeping a lot, which tha doctors told her ta do. She's following all tha advice they had for her really well." "Yeah, I'll pass tha message on. See ye in a few days Ma. Love ye. Bye." Jack hung up my phone with another sigh. "Ma and Pa will be here in two days. And she says ta tell ye, love, ta take it easy and make sure tha babies and ye stay healthy. That means letting us take care of ye." He grinned. "I know ye've been letting us do a lot, but everyone's worried. This is a big deal, ye know. Now, do ye want yer laptop, so ye can work on social media or play some games?" 

I smiled and nodded. "Yes, please, Jack. I feel like I've spent the last few days locked away from the world, since I was barely online at all. I want to see how the pregnancy announcement vlog did from this weekend after I sent it to my editor to post. Oh, and can one of you take a picture of my baby bump please? I want to post it with a sign that says eight weeks, so the fans can keep track with us, and so we have a weekly bump progression. I wish I had thought to do that with the girls, after we found out they were there, even if the weeks would have been all out of sync."

Mark grinned. "Sure babe. Let me help you stand up, then I'll do it." I smiled and nodded. Mark helped me up slowly and carefully as Jack went to go track down my laptop and cords. Mark took the picture and I posted it to Instagram, tweeting a fast link from my phone. Then we both settled back on the couch. We had just gotten comfy again when Jack came back with all three of our laptops. We settled in, snuggling on the couch and dealing with social media for the rest of the afternoon and all evening, taking a brief break when Mom brought us some dinner, and stopping to play a few rounds of Overwatch together. When I got sleepy, I shut my computer down, set it on the coffee table, and leaned into Jack's side, curling up in both men's laps and falling asleep, feeling loved, safe, and happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So much sweet fluffy goodness!!!
> 
> So, no chapters on any of my works for a bit. I have to go have surprise eye surgery tomorrow and then the holidays are here and I have to have my immunotherapy. So Merry Christmas, Happy Winter Solstice, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Hanukkah, (or whatever you celebrate, (if you celebrate), and Happy New Year! I will try to update as soon as I can, but I know it won't be for a little while, so I'm pushing out as much as I can today, including finishing the MONSTER chapter I was working on for my Jack X Reader. (Holy shit, over 13,500 words!) 
> 
> This story will probably be the next one updated, but I might just update the Mark X Reader or my Mark X Reader X Dan story next then this one (Dancing to the Beat of the Rain). 
> 
> See you all in the next one! *MWAH!* Smoochies!


	17. Ken's birthday Dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life is returning to normal(ish). Now it's time to celebrate some birthdays!

The next few days with the family were quiet and peaceful. I rested, napping as much as my body needed, and oversaw the beginnings of moving the girls upstairs. In a flash of inspiration, I had gone on Amazon and found an intercom system to install, so the girls could call us if they needed something in the night. Dani and Sammi were excitedly running around, picking bright blues, greens, and silver for the colors in their new room, with Mark and Jack assisting them and painting the new rooms. I even managed to get upstairs long enough to paint a few patterns over their beds and put names on the doors for both of the two rooms the girls chose. Dani and Sammi got a delicate silver scrolling script with their names, making them clap and squeal. Steph and Ti had chosen reds, pinks, purples, and gold for their room, so I used gold paint and a more regal style for their names, adding little crowns or tiaras to all four girls names. So far, the girls were thrilled about moving upstairs. They hadn't even squabbled about who was going to get which night light (no surprises really, Steph and Ti got TinyBox Tim, and Sammi and Dani got SepticEye Sam) or what toys were going to go in whose rooms, mostly because I decided one of the small offices on the first floor was going to be re-designated as a playroom and all the toys, except two plushies each, would be kept downstairs in that room. The girls also each got their own big girl beds, with safety rails, for the first time. That meant no more bending down to pull them out of converted cribs and potentially hurting our (mostly my) backs. It took about a week to get everything finished and the girls all moved upstairs, even with the grandmas, Mark, Jack, Danny, Ray, Eddie, and Jack's parents when they got there a few days after we started. I was staying pretty much parked on the couch, letting everyone else do as much as possible, resting. I also spent a good deal of time overseeing the girls packing boxes and carrying them to the new playroom, which had been my home office. I had talked it over with Jack and Mark, who agreed with me, that sharing an office with them, since I had two setups anyway, would make more sense, especially now. In the meantime, the current nursery was being slowly transformed back into a baby room, with the cribs being hauled back in as well as the changing tables, baby dressers, and mobiles. Mark, Jack, and I were going to wait until we knew what gender the new babies were before we decided how to repaint both the cribs and walls, but things were starting to get into the new pattern before very long. I went back to work, for limited hours only, the next week, working on our YouTube channels, editing, and social media again, instead of the television show, mostly.

Jack's Ma and Pa arrived a day earlier than we expected them, but of course, we had the space and got them settled in as soon as they arrived. They decided to stay upstairs, next to the rooms the girls had claimed, in one of the spare bedrooms, making the transition even easier for everyone involved. And of course, they immediately started helping around the house as much as they could, doing all sorts of things. Jack and Mark were watching me like hawks, constantly circling, one or the other, to make sure I didn't overdo anything, need anything, and wasn't getting too tired or sick or thirsty. It was sweet, thoughtful, and more than a little maddening for me, but I sighed and didn't resist, knowing it wouldn't do any good and just frustrate everyone involved. By the end of the week after Jack's parents had arrived, everyone was settled in pretty well in the new configuration. Everything was returning to as normal as our lives ever got, with a few exceptions. My baby bump was rapidly growing, making the need for weekly bump updates even greater. In fact, the pregnancy announcement vlog had gone viral, receiving nearly double the hits any of my other videos got, breaking all my channel records. The fan response was awe inspiring. People were leaving support and love in droves on all three of our channels and on our social media. My subscriber count had sharply increased overnight, twice, making me almost a little nervous, and Jack and Mark both had subscriber surges too. The fans were clamoring for more videos with the girls, with our whole family, of me and my baby bump, and any news about my pregnancy. There was also a huge wave of support for Jack over his issues with his VISA. Between us, we were all trending in the top fifteen hashtags on Twitter everyday for the last two weeks, with no signs of any of the support slowing. At one point, we had five of the top fifteen tags, with #KeepJackSepticEyeHere, #[Y/Y/N]babies, #KeepMark&Jack&[Y/N]together, #StayStrong[Y/Y/N], and #JackShouldBeAllowedToStay, all trending together for three straight days. #GrandmaSquad and #MommyPants both trended off and on several times during the week as well. And the Septiplier shippers were of course as loud as ever, even though many of them had added me to the ship by now as well, swearing I was the beacon that kept the hope for the ship alive, strong, and well. I smiled at the silliness of some of the comments and the sweetness of most of the sentiment. 

At work, I was as busy as ever, even though I was slowly pulling my focus back, tightening down to things I could more easily manage from home, or bed, if it came to it. Mark and Jack were adamant that I rest as much as I could, even there, so people often found me napping, with one or both of them close by unless they were filming episodes for the show, but everyone was so worried about my health that no one was upset. Quite the contrary, most of the staff, crew, and our friends were constantly pushing me to take it easier and rest more. On the days when I was filming, we took more breaks and the script was reworked to have me sitting for the most part. I tried to be patient, but snapped at people occasionally, when the babying got to be too much for me. The morning sickness was much better controlled now as well, only making me feel overwhelmingly sick in the mornings or when some particularly strong smell overcame me. Vicki and HR had all granted me as much leave as I wanted or needed, claiming it was advantageous to the show, especially if I could continue the regular baby bump updates, reader comment vlogs, and fan interaction.

So life continued, with time passing by faster than I realized, until the week of Ken's and my birthdays. Mary, Jack, and Mark had all planned a party for both of us, going off the original plans we had set in place, but changing them so the party was now going to be catered, at our house, on the weekend around our birthdays, which were on Thursday and Friday. Ken and Mary invited us over for takeout on the night of Ken's birthday, as a smaller private party, and we happily accepted. We had agreed to meet at their place, formerly Jack's apartment, around seven, so when the three of us finished our work earlier than normal that Thursday, Jack suggested we go home and get ready, and maybe spend a little extra time with the girls. We got home around four that afternoon and I immediately settled on the couch. Sammi and Dani ran out as soon as they heard the front door, squealing. Sammi ran up and jumped on the couch next to me. "Momma, I wanna snuggwe ye. Can we? Pwease? I missed ye."

I smiledfemale . "Of course, baby. Come on over." Sammi grinned and snuggled close on my left, grabbing my blanket and wrapping up in it and tucking me in. I smiled and kissed her cheek as soon as she was settled. "Did you have a good day, playing with your sisters?"

Sammi looked sadly at me. "Dani and I pwayed aww day, but Ti and Stephie feww asweep after wunch. Granny took them up ta their room and they haven't come back yet. Momma, can I feew tha babies?"

"Sam, you can feel my tummy, but the babies are too tiny to actually feel them moving in there. I promise, as soon as they get big enough, you and your sisters will all get to feel them move, lots of times. Even I can't feel them when they move around right now." I smiles softly at her, stroking her hair. She leaned into my lap and closed her eyes, placing a hand on my baby bump and smiling slightly.

Jack walked in then and smiled at us. Dani had sat down on my other side, snuggling as close as she could, just quietly stealing time with me. I was stroking her hair with my other hand and watching them both, smiling softly. Jack immediately came over and stole kisses from me and hugged the girls. "Ah, so much sweetness in here. Are ye girls watching out for yer Momma now too? Ye all look comfy."

Dani grinned impishly and answered him. "Daddy! Pick me up! I wants ta sit in yer wap, pwease. Ye need ta snuggle with us too." She held her arms up to him, clearly wanting him to join us. He laughed and complied, snuggling into my side. 

Sammi crossed her arms and pouted. "No fair. I wanted Daddy ta hold me."

I laughed and bent down, pulling her into my arms for a kiss. "Sam, Dani asked first. We love all of you, but you know you have to take turns. Don't pout." Sam hugged me back, fiercely, then climbed into my lap, getting comfy and sticking her tongue out at Dani. I shook my head, smiling, as Dani stuck her tongue out at Sammi and hugged Jack. He just grinned at the two of them, then turned to me.

"So love, where are our other daughters hiding? Did ye banish them ta tha playroom? Did Mark take them somewhere? Or are they off playing with Chica and Steve?"

I shook my head. "Not from what Sammi told me. Tiana and Stephanie are upstairs, napping. Or at least they were when we got home." I yawned, catching Jack's attention.

"Love, ye should be napping too. Come on little loves, lets give Momma a chance ta nap before she has ta go with Papa and I for dinner with Uncle Ken."

I crossed my arms and shook my head, putting a hand on Jack's leg. "No, stay there. I'm alright, I promise. Besides, I think I'd rather have the snuggles than a nap. It was just one yawn, Jack."

Jack looked skeptical, but didn't say anything for now, instead wrapping an arm behind me and gently rubbing my back. It made me smile and lean into him. He sighed happily and kissed the side of my head after I settled in a little more comfortably. We all sat like that for a good long time, just resting together and enjoying each others company, until Mark came in, with Tiana and Stephanie joining us just a few minutes later. Soon all four girls abandoned us for the lure of the playroom and Dee, Ma, and Pa playtime. Mom and Momiplier, who had come in and smiled at us a little while ago before sitting down to chat together, decided now would be a good time to start dinner, so they slipped off to the kitchen together, an animated conversation still going between them. I smiled at my two guys and rested my head on Mark's chest now, shifting to lean into him when Sammi had gotten up. Jack had simply moved closer without a word. We all were just relaxing quietly, enjoying some down time. When I closed my eyes I felt like I might fall asleep in Mark's lap, but didn't have the energy to care. Mark started softly humming and both Jack and Mark were gently rubbing my back and shoulders, increasing the soporific effect the quiet and calm were having on me.

An hour or so later, I woke up to Jack gently kissing me. "Sorry love, ye need ta wake up now, so we can head over ta Ken's for dinner. Do ye need any help getting ready?"

I smiled sleepily. "Just putting my shoes on. Thanks Sean." I stretched a little and looked back at Mark. He was asleep as well, so I leaned in close and kissed him gently. He opened his eyes, taking a minute to focus. "Mark, sweetie, Jack says it's time to wake up now so we can get over to Ken's and Mary's. You have to let me go though, so we can go get ready." 

Mark smiled at me, then suddenly squeezed me tight. "Nope. You're not moving. We'll just have to miss the party." Jack chuckled and reached down, helping me gently pry Mark's arms off me. Mark whined and pouted, crossing his now empty arms when I escaped. "No fair! You two are ganging up on me now!" Jack and I were giggling like mad now, grinning and standing just out of Mark's reach.

Tiana, hearing Mark's raised voice came out to see what was going on. She giggled and ran over to me. "Momma, are you reawy picking on Papa? Is Daddy?"

"Hello, Ti, baby. No, Daddy and I aren't picking on Papa. He's just being a silly. He was holding me in his lap while we took a nap and when I asked him to let me go, he told me I couldn't leave. Daddy helped me get loose, and now Papa is pouting and whining." I winked at her. "He's being a big baby."

Tiana giggled and put a hand over her mouth, then turned to Mark. "Papa, you's so funny. Momma might need ta go potty. Did you ask her?" She looked at me, serious for the moment. "Momma, do you have ta potty?"

I grabbed her hand. "Do you? I can take you to the princess potty and use the other one, then you can flush them both. Does that sound good?"

Tiana clapped and jumped up and down excitedly. "Yea! I came wooking for a growed up ta go potty anyway. Come on Momma! Wet's go! Bye bye Daddy, bye bye Papa!" She grabbed my hand and pulled me along to the bathroom where I helped her pull her pants and underwear down and she sat down on one of the toddler potties we had decorated with small crowns. I pulled my own skirt and underwear down and sat down, using the toilet myself. When I was finished I helped Tiana wipe and she grinned and flushed the toilet. We both washed our hands and adjusted our clothes back in place then walked back out to the living room. 

"Tiana, would you grab my shoes and help me put them on, please? Thank you baby."

Tiana grinned, let go of my hand and helped me into my shoes. When she finished, she reached up and patted my baby bump then leaned in and kissed me sweetly. I kissed her back and she skipped off happily to play in the playroom again. Jack and Mark had disappeared while we were using the bathroom, so I walked into our bedroom and grabbed my hairbrush, heading to the bathroom to style it a little. I was a little surprised to see both men crowding around the mirror, but I just smiled and leaned against the door frame. When Jack looked up, he noticed me there and smiled. "Lass, do ye need ta use tha mirror too? I think we can budge over ta make room for ye here."

I leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "I can wait. I just need to brush my hair. Tiana helped me put my shoes on."

Jack finished fixing his hair and stepped away from the mirror, grabbing my hand and pulling me back out into the bedroom. "Well then, come here love. I can help ye. In fact, I want ta brush yer gorgeous hair out, so just settle inta my lap. There's a good lass. I love ye and I love playing with yer hair."

I smiled and we settled down on the edge of the bed, me sitting on Jack's lap, turned sideways so he could work. Jack worked slowly, methodically detangling my hair, and hummed slightly. When he finished, he kissed me, soft and sweet. I kissed him back then got up so we could head out to find Mark again. Mark was gathering up his wallet and keys when we caught up with him in the living room. I walked over and kissed him, drawing out a smile from him and Jack both. We both grabbed Mark's hands, grabbed our phones, wallets, and anything else we needed, tucking most of our belongings in my purse, then we all headed out the door. As we were leaving, We ducked into the kitchen and playrooms, calling fast goodbyes to everyone, then got in the car. Mark was driving and Jack cuddled me in the back seat as we rode the short drive over to Ken's apartment. When we got there, I grabbed the present I had picked out for Ken from the trunk of the car and we headed in. Mary smiled at me when I asked how she was, making a small face at me. I grinned, knowing exactly how tired of that question she was probably getting, based solely on my own experiences with people asking me the same thing. Her response made me laugh. "Well, today's a good day. I've only vomited on myself four times and almost passed out twice. How about you, [y/n]? Is your morning sickness and dizziness any better? Your color looks better today."

I sighed. "Better than sometimes. I'm still pretty dizzy, but at least the medicines have finally started to get ahead of the nausea. Now I just have absolutely zero energy, no matter how many naps I take. And my belly and boobs are growing really fast and ache." I grinned. "Isn't pregnancy glamorous?" 

Mary snorted and laughed for several minutes. "At least you still have your sense of humor, sweetie. And I'm so glad you are going through this at the same time I am. It really does help to have someone to commiserate with." I nodded and the two of us headed for the living room where the guys were already sitting, discussing a video game they were all excited for, a horror title that I was refusing to play. I settled on the couch, next to Jack and got comfortable. Mark grinned and moved over so he could sit on my other side, instead of sitting on the end of the couch next to Ken. We had just gotten settled in when the doorbell rang, making Mary groan. Ken smiled at her and got up to go answer the door, kissing her forehead as he passed by her seat. She smiled at the three of us on the couch after Ken left. "If you guys need anything to drink or eat, let me know. Or tell Ken. Felix and Marzia are planning on coming over, so that's probably them now, and I figured we could eat in a little while. It's just takeout that we picked up earlier, but that was really all I could face today."

Mark and Jack grinned, nodding understandingly. I nodded as well, making a face that made Mary laugh. Felix and Marzia came in, smiling, just as Mary laughed. Ken was right behind them, so he came over to Mary and pulled her into his lap then asked her what had made her laugh. As she explained, Felix and Marzia got settled in seats of their own and everyone got comfortable. Before long, everyone was chatting animatedly and the party was underway. Around seven, Mary got up and went into the kitchen. I got up and followed her, offering to help, which she gladly let me. A minute later both Jack and Marzia wandered in to help as well, so we put them to work getting drinks for everyone while Mary and I heated the food back up and arranged it to a tray to carry into the other room. Before either of us could pick the newly arranged tray up, Mark swooped in and hauled it out, making us roll our eyes and giggle. We started getting plates and utensils out, only to have Jack come back in and take those too. Jack was giving me a look. "Love, ye should be resting. Go sit back down. Ye too Mary. We can handle this."

I shared another look with Mary, one of annoyance, but went back into the living room with her. She reclaimed her spot on Ken's lap, giggling sightly at my sour expression, which Mark either didn't see or ignored, because when I sat down in an armchair away from where he and Jack had been sitting he made an unhappy sound and came over to scoop me back up. I didn't let him, gripping the sides of the cushion too tightly, so he ended up holding both me and the seat cushion as I struggled to escape his grip. Felix and Ken were both trying not to laugh. Marzia watched quietly until now, but seeing how angry I was becoming finally spoke up. "Mark, I think you better put her down. She's about ready to go for your eyes." She looked at me. "What did he do? I mean, I know Mark and Jack are both being kind of over-the-top protective of you lately, but this seems like a little bit of an overreaction, unless there is something we haven't noticed."

I looked down, trying to fight back the anger, frustration, and unhappiness without biting anyone's head off. Mark finally noticed and set me back down in the chair, cushion and all. When I had better control, I looked back up to see Jack headed over towards me. I held up my hand to stop him in his tracks. "That's close enough Jack. Listen, I love both of you, but this has gotten ridiculous. I can sit in a chair by myself. I can carry a few dishes, a tray of food, or some flatware. I can _walk_ for crying out loud. I think I've been really patient with you both, but you are driving me to the breaking point. I'm asking for help when I need it. You two are smothering me. Please, just give me a little space? I'm going to hurt one of you, without meaning to, if you don't." I looked down, unable to meet either of my two wonderful men in the eyes, feeling ashamed and embarrassed. "I'm sorry to do this here."

Mary came over and hugged me, as did Marzia. "Hey, if it had been me, Ken would have been rubbing his backside weeks ago. You are on the hormone express and those to are being the clingiest I have ever seen anyone. I thought maybe they were being worse at work, but it sounds like the opposite is true." She looked over at them and raised an eyebrow. "How would you like someone to wrap you so tightly in bubble wrap you can't move or breathe, then tell you 'It's for your own good, you might hurt yourself'? Would either of you put up with that crap?"

Jack looked down, blushing. Mark looked angry and defiant, color high on his cheeks. "She needs help. Babe, you know you do."

I looked at him, steel in my gaze. "Yes, I do. And I'm asking for help when I need it. You and Jack aren't even letting me walk around the house most of the time. I might need that level of help later, but right now, it's just pissing me the fuck off. Now, are you going to ease up a little, or am I spending the night somewhere besides our house. I absolutely will go over to Danny's apartment and ask him to drive me somewhere else, alone, and not tell you where. And I swear, I will make sure he doesn't tell you either. Or if he refuses, I will go to Eddie and Ray, since they are right next door, or up to Arin and Suzy. I am sure one of our friends in the apartment complex here will help me out, or at least call me a cab." I glared at Mark. He suddenly looked panicked at the very thought of not knowing where I was. Jack looked ready to cry. I sighed. "Guys, I know this is hard for you. I've been as patient as I know how to be. I can't take it anymore."

Marzia hugged me gently and whispered support in my ear. "If you can't find anyone else to help you get away for a little while, I'll help." I smiled at her gratefully. Felix and Ken looked a little uncomfortable, shifting slightly in their seats, drawing my attention and Mary's. 

Mary grinned at Ken. "Well, all I can say is. thank you for not being a pain in the ass Ken. I know you feel bad that I'm feeling unwell, but at least you're not constantly underfoot. I know you're as excited as I am too."

Ken laughed. "At least. I can't wait for that little baby to get here! And I can't wait to see if it's a girl or a boy. This is the best birthday present you could have ever given me, babe."

We all smiled at that, and Mary walked back over to Ken, hugging him and patting her stomach. Marzia looked at Jack and Mark after a few minutes, not leaving the arm of the chair I was sitting in. I looked at them too. They appeared to be having a whispered argument. Because the room was quiet, unsure of how to handle the sudden tension that was growing again, I could hear everything both men were saying. Jack was arguing that I was serious, would leave if they didn't back down a little. Mark was arguing that I needed more help that I would admit, so I couldn't mean what I was saying, it was just the hormones talking. That made me so angry that I nearly spit. Instead, I went absolutely still, my next words dripping with ice. "Mark. You should know I can hear everything you're saying. Maybe you should find somewhere else to spend tonight."

Mark looked startled, then blushed. "I always forget how good your hearing is babe. Uh, how are you and Jack going to get home if I go somewhere else?"

I stared at him, darkly. "Easy. We can take the car. Or I can ask Eddie to drive us. Or Danny. Or any one of our friends." My tone was even colder than before somehow, and Felix, Ken, and Jack shivered slightly hearing it. Jack made a small whine. I closed my eyes for a minute then looked at him, my normal warmth returned. "Jack?"

He came over and hugged me. "I'm so sorry we've been idiots about this. Please don't shut us out. I need you." My heart melted and I pulled him down into a kiss, hugging him close. Marzia headed back over to her own chair again. When Jack and I separated, I scooted over a little, making room in the chair for him. He grinned and sat down, wrapping his arms around me, but letting me still move. I closed my eyes and rested my head on his shoulder. 

Felix chuckled softly. "Well, at least one of you bros is smart about how to treat [y/n]. I mean, wow. That was some scary, cold behavior from you, [y/n]. I've never seen or heard anything that cold not being literally frozen. Brr."

I looked at him, a gleam of humor in my eyes. "I told you I can be scary. Who needs to yell and carry on when I can freeze people out instead?" I shook my head. "Not that when I'm less angry I don't yell."

Mark cleared his throat, finally able to move again, over the shock of my words and attitude. "Baby? [Y/N]? Can I please come back home tonight?"

I looked at him, my eyes going hard again, but not as cold. "No. Find somewhere else to sleep. I'll bring you some spare clothes tomorrow at work."

Jack gently squeezed my shoulder, drawing my attention back to him. I looked at him, my eyes not softening at all. He shivered but leaned over to whisper to me, attempting to soften my attitude a little. "Love, maybe you could let him come home with us and just sleep somewhere else in tha house? I mean, we have a big house and it might upset tha girls not ta see Papa in tha morning."

I gave him a measured look. "More than not seeing Momma? I don't think so Jack." I turned back to Mark. "I'm still so angry with you I can barely keep control. so no, you can't come home tonight."

Mark swallowed and nodded, looking down for a minute, unable to meet my gaze. "I'm sorry, [y/n]. I know how hard this is for you. I should have backed off sooner. You're right. We have been smothering you. We don't mean to. It's just hard to watch you struggle and not offer to help."

I raised an eyebrow. "Mark, you dumbass, it's not the offers of help that I mind. It's the refusal by either you or Jack to let me do ANYTHING myself. And the automatic taking over of everything I try to do alone. You don't let me ask for help because you take away all my options to do things alone." I shook my head and turned to Ken. "I'm so sorry all this had to come to a head at your birthday party Ken. If you want us to leave, we will. You deserve a happy day and a good party, not an argument and grumpy pregnant friend. I should probably head home."

Ken shook his head, grinning. "Nah. You're still a lot of fun, even grumpy. And you make Mary happy, which makes me happy." She grinned at him, hugging him again. "Besides, it's not like your turning your wrath on me, or Mary. It sounds like Mark and Jack have been earning it for a little while now. And you forgave Jack. Why did you forgive him?"

I smiled, the hardness leaving my face and eyes entirely. "He sincerely apologized. And he realized I was serious, acknowledging my feelings instead of dismissing them. Mark fanned the fire by basically ignoring what I was saying because he didn't want to hear it. My temper is slow to boil over, even with all the hormones right now, but it takes a long time to get over when it does happen." I looked down, suddenly fighting back tears. "It has to do with somethings I'd rather not discuss. At least not right now. And I know Mark has apologized now, but by then, my anger was already overflowing. Hopefully, by tomorrow morning, I will be over it enough to deal with things better and talk to you Mark. But not right now. Right now, I want to punch you in the face so hard, you wouldn't believe it."

Mark's eyes got huge and he swallowed, looking away. Jack leaned in closer and kissed me, softly, on the cheek. "Love, we didn't even think... We love ye so much, we would never do anything ta intentionally bring yer past back up." He reached a hand over and patted my baby bump. "Now, can ye please relax a bit? Tha babies need ye calm, and this much anger isn't good for ye either."

I nodded a little ruefully at him. "Thanks for keeping me level headed, Jack. You're right. I do need to stay calm, for the babies." I sighed and turned back to our friends. "How about a game? Something to distract me would be a very good idea." So Ken got up and got out Cards Against Humanity, which we played for a long time as we ate our dinners, talked and laughed. By ten o'clock, Mary and I were yawning, so Jack grabbed my hand and helped me gather my things, taking me back out to the car. I had texted Eddie a little while ago and he had agreed to let Mark stay on the couch at their apartment and drive him in to work in the morning. I got in the driver's seat and drove Jack and I home, coming in to see Ma, Pa, Mom, Dee, and Momiplier waiting for us in the living room. I raised an eyebrow at the assembled grandparents, asking a silent question.

Mom looked around. "Where's Mark?"

I crossed my arms, tapping my foot. "At Eddie's. I lost my temper and couldn't face him anymore for a little while."

Momiplier looked at me and grinned. "Finally tired of the crazed and hyper boyfriend routines?" I nodded, grinning ruefully. "Good for you. Mark can handle a night away. It will be good for him to back off, and I think this might help him see that. Does that mean Jack agreed to back off a little too?"

Jack blushed and nodded. 'Yeah, she scared us both, and I realized just how far we had actually pushed her. She was going ta disappear without either of us for tha night. I apologized and she forgave me."

Ma, Pa, and Mom grinned. Dee was smiling and shaking her head. Momiplier gave me a thumbs up. "Good. We thought we were going to have to say something to you. That's what we had all gathered in here for. Now we can just relax."

I laughed. "You guys go ahead and do what you want. I need to get to bed. I'm tired. That much emotional up and down wears me out. Plus, these little ones are sucking up so much energy I can barely stay awake as it is. Goodnight everyone." I patted my baby bump then waved my hand, heading for the bedroom. Jack came with me, just watching me get ready, silently offering help if I needed, but letting me handle things on my own for once. I smiled and kissed him as I crawled into bed. He grinned and got himself ready for bed as well, crawling in next to me and cuddling me close as I drifted off to sleep. I hoped Mark had a good night, even if I was angry with him. That was my last thought before sleep overcame me for the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year everyone! Hope 2017 is a _MUCH_ better year than 2016 was for everyone, even if 2016 wasn't a big ol' pile of suck for you, like it was for me. 
> 
> Also, so sorry this took so long! After the first session of the laser eye surgery, I had to have the other eye done, then it was Christmas and my immunotheraphy right after, which I am still feeling a bit ill from. I really have been trying to get chapters done, but it's slow going. I have partial chapters of my Jack X Reader and my Mark X Reader finished and hope to have them out by the end of next week, but I do have another laser eye session Wednesday for my right eye (and the following week for the other eye), so I'm not sure if I can get them out on time or not. Hopefully after one more session of laser correction, my eyes will no longer be bleeding in the back and I won't need to keep having this stuff done. 
> 
> And now, I have a question for all my lovely readers. I have an idea for a story that is NOT a YouTuber fiction. Would anyone be interested in reading it? (Actually, I have a few ideas, including a few based off of the King Arthur era, mythology, and folktales, but I don't know if anyone would be interested in reading that.) Let me know in the comments or send me a Tumblr comment, please! Thanks everybody for reading, and as always, have a fab day!! ;) Smoochies! *MWAH*!


	18. My birthday and Doctor's Visit Number Two, Take Two *

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to celebrate my/your/our birthday! Also, baby doctor time...

I woke up to four tiny sets of eyes, and one bigger blue pair, watching me sleep. I smiled and chuckled slightly. "Mornin' girls. Mornin' Jack. What going on?"

Dani looked around. "Where's Papa? We wanted ta wish ye a Happy Birthday, but he's not here ta sing with us. Where did he go?"

I smiled at her, reassuringly. "Papa made Momma very, very angry last night, so he spent the night sleeping at Uncle Eddie's, on the couch. But don't worry girls. Momma will forgive him and he will be home tonight. He just needed a reminder that Momma wasn't going to put up with him acting up."

Stephanie looked at me and grinned. "Was Daddy being bad too?" 

I looked at Jack and smiled. He blushed a little. "Well, little lass, I was, but when yer Momma said something, I straightened up and apologized ta her. Papa didn't. He argued. That's why Momma made him sleep somewhere else."

Tiana giggled. "Papa was being a dummy. Momma is too scary to argue with."

Jack nodded and leaned over kissing me gently. "She was right, too. Now, let's help Momma celebrate her birthday! Happy birthday love."

The girls all giggled and squealed out happy birthday's to me as well. I smiled at all of them, then started to get up. Unfortunately, this made me have to run for the bathroom to go throw up, but once I was done, in less time than normal, Jack offered me a hand up. "Thank you sweetie. Sorry about that everyone. The babies don't like me waking up in the mornings." I sighed and let Jack help me up. Sammi flushed the toilet and hugged my leg fiercely. I looked down at her, curious as to why she suddenly was clinging so tight.

She looked up at me. "Momma, I l-love ye." I smiled hugely. This was the first time Sam had ever said the L sound properly, and it made my heart sing with pride. The other girls also had trouble saying it, but they usually managed at least a few times a week to get it right. Sammi never had. 

"Momma loves you too Sammi. And you Ti. And Dani. And Stephie. And Daddy. I still love Papa too, even when he makes me mad." I patted her head, gently, just letting her know I was proud of her and reinforcing my words of love.

Sammi grinned. "We know. Ye tew us aw tha time. But we wike hearing it. We love ye too. Lots." 

Jack reached down and scooped her up in a tight hug. "Sammi! Yer finally learning how ta say yer L's. I'm so proud of ye." He gave her a kiss and looked at the rest of the girls. "I'm proud of all our little lasses here. Now, let's give Momma a few minutes ta get cleaned up and dressed and make her some breakfast while we wait. [Y/N], love, what sounds good this morning?"

I sighed and assessed my stomach. "How about a large smoothie, some toast, and scrambled eggs."

Jack nodded and kissed me, carrying Sammi out one armed and shooing the rest of the mob out of our bathroom with his free hand. After they left, I took my nightgown off and started the shower, pausing to look in the mirror. What I saw made me sigh. My breasts were large, slightly puffy, and had stretch marks in angry reds and purples from the speed they were getting bigger. My stomach, which was never flat or all that small, was round, hard, and getting rather large already. I was so clearly pregnant at only ten weeks. I loved the babies, even so early, but it was more than a little depressing for me to feel so big this early in my pregnancy. I looked more like I was six months pregnant than two and a half. I sighed again, rubbed my belly, and got in the shower, letting the warm water soothe my frayed nerves and wake me up the rest of the way. I took my time, washing my hair and just taking some time to really calm myself down, alone. When I got out, I was feeling more calm and collected than I had in quite a while. Jack was standing in the doorway, waiting for me with a giant bath sheet in his hands and a look of pure joy on his face. "Love, ye look absolutely radiant this morning. How do ye feel?"

I smiled at him. "Calmer than last night. Huge. A little dizzy. Other than that, pretty damn good. Especially seeing you standing there, with that look on your face, Sean. You look so happy." 

He stepped over, wrapping me up, both in the towel and in a hug. Then he kissed me, soft, deep, and sweet. "Ye blow my mind love. Ye are amazing. I can't believe ye really agreed ta marry me. And I am happy. I am beyond happy. I love ye, lass."

I smiled and leaned into Jack's embrace. "Thank you Sean. I needed to hear that today. Especially today. For some reason, I am feeling fat, ugly, and useless today. I think it's just hormones, but I'm just getting so big already, it kind of sucks." I was fighting back tears now, clenching my fists.

Jack moved one hand away from me and used it to lift my face, so he could look directly into my eyes. "Love, no. Ye are tha most gorgeous woman I have ever seen. And yer babby bump is adorable, just like tha rest of ye. Can't ye feel how much of an effect yer having on me?" I swallowed, noticing he was hard. I wondered briefly how I had missed it before. He smiled at me again, a soft, tender expression. "Do ye believe me now? I swear, ye will always be beautiful ta me, no matter what. Mark feels tha same way, I hope ye know. Now, pretty lass, do ye think ye can come eat some breakfast with tha girls and I? Or do ye need a few more minutes ta gather yerself?"

I met Jack's eyes with a shaky smile. "Thank you so much sweetheart." I wrapped him up in a very tight hug, pulling him into a kiss after a few seconds as well. I didn't notice he was slowly guiding me to the bed to sit down until my legs hit the mattress. I sat down, pulling him down with me, startling a squeak out of him. I chuckled. "I want you to stay here with me for a few minutes. Food can wait. Our moms can deal with the girls right now. Somehow, I'm sure they are already in the kitchen, watching the four of them eat, and fixing food for them. Am I wrong?" Jack swallowed convulsively, shaking his head, looking at me with pure lust now. I grinned wolfishly and let the towel drop, reaching for Jack, who was wearing just his pajama pants. I pushed Jack back into the bed, kissing him deeply as I pulled his pants down slowly, rubbing my naked body against him. Jack was kissing me back with all he was worth, and his hands were roaming all over me, heating me up and making me feel cherished at the same time. When I managed to get his pants all the way off and he was laying under me naked and hard, I growled and pounced, making him chuckle as we got lined up. He dove back in for a kiss at the same time he entered me, making me moan into his mouth and catching his own moan being silenced in my mouth as well. Neither of us lasted long after we found the angle and speed we wanted, collapsing into a heap on the bed after just a few minutes, completely spent. 

Jack reached a hand up and ran it gently along my jaw. "So pretty. Thank ye, ye just made my day, love." He smiled. "Happy birthday."

I laughed. "Thanks Jack. Now, let's clean up. We both need to get ready to go in for work." I yawned. "And don't forget, we have an appointment with Dr. Sara this afternoon."

Jack nodded, patting my baby bump. "Yup. We gotta get these little beans checked and make sure they are growing right and ye are healthy too."

I nodded, smiling again. "Yes we do. And we need to tell Dr. Sara our decision about not reducing the babies." I bit my lip, looking at Jack. "You didn't change your mind did you? Because I got sick?"

Jack shook his head. "No, love, I haven't. Have ye? I mean, ye have a bigger stake in this than Mark or I do. Ye need ta make sure ye feel up ta it."

I hugged Jack tight again, snuggling into him. "No. I definitely haven't. I love these babies. I'm being as careful as I can. And I really am going to let you and Mark help me. But please let me ask for help instead of just assuming I need help with everything. It's kind of insulting, if you think about it from my side of things. How would you like it if, just because you felt sick all the time, Mark and I wouldn't even let you walk, play games, or move without someone watching you all the time to swoop in and keep you from doing anything? It kind of sucks, even if the reason behind it is sweet and loving. I know you both love me and want me to be safe and happy, but it's making me UNhappy when you do that, and I am being safe." I sighed. "And I know you agreed to back off some, I just wanted you to know how I feel."

Jack squeezed my shoulder, looking stunned. "Lass, I never thought of it that way. No wonder ye are fighting us. Ye have been extremely patient then. I'm so sorry."

I nodded, then smiled. "Just keep it in mind, okay sweetie? Now, seriously, we need to clean up and get dressed. Would you help me up?"

Jack nodded and got up, a little slowly, and looked down at me. "Ye really are amazingly beautiful lass. Do ye want me ta clean ye up, or just help ye up?"

I thought about it for a second. "If you want to clean me up, that would be fine. I mean, you could even just use the towel from my shower and throw it into the hamper after." Jack nodded and cleaned us up, then helped me sit up. "Jack, baby, do you want to pick some clothes out for me? I'm pretty dizzy right now, and I'll just sit here and wait if you don't mind."

Jack's smile lit the room and warmed my heart. "Of course.Do ye want a skirt, pants, or a dress today? A skirt or dress might be better for at tha doctor, but I know it's not a sonogram day, so maybe it doesn't matter that much?"

I closed my eyes. "Whatever you think Sean. I trust you, with a lot more than just my clothes. As long as it's not too tight, and it's warm, and comfy, I don't care what you pick." When I opened my eyes a minute later, Jack was holding a set of underwear for me and a dress in a soft blue, one he always commented he liked when I wore it, both this pregnancy and in my last. I smiled and had him help me get dressed, holding me steady when the room spun and helping me get into the panties. He kissed me softly when I was fully dressed, asking me to sit back down while he got dressed, then he would help me get my shoes on, something he knew I struggled with. I nodded and settled on the edge of the bed. "Thank you Jack. You're so sweet and so, so good to me. I love you."

Jack squeezed my hand, his smile huge, as he stepped away from me long enough to go get dressed. He was back just a moment later, carrying a pair of flats that matched the dress pretty well. He helped me into them and sat down next to me, rubbing my baby bump. I smiled again as he leaned over and whispered something to the babies, catching his face in my hands as he sat back up. I gently kissed his forehead and stroked his cheek, then let him go, standing up carefully. He stood up with me, putting a hand on my back, to steady me or offer support, I wasn't sure which. I nodded after the room steadied again and the dizziness subsided, then walked over and grabbed clean clothes from Mark's dresser, putting them with my jacket and purse in the living room. Then Jack and I headed for the kitchen, settling in a seat at the table to eat. Momiplier smiled at the two of us, seeing us first. "Good morning, Jack. Good morning [Y/N], and happy birthday!"

"Thanks. Listen, I have a doctor's appointment this afternoon, so the guys and I might be home early, and if you need to get a hold of us for any reason, call one of our cell phones. And thank you for watching the girls so much lately. And cooking. You, Mom, Dee, Ma, and Pa have been lifesavers lately. I've been such a mess, I don't know how we would have coped with everything if you all weren't here." I shook my head, then grabbed Jack's arm as the room spun rapidly and made me a little queasy.

"Lass, are ye okay? Ye look a bit green."

I closed my eyes and breathed deeply for a few seconds, willing my stomach back in order. "Sorry. Dizzy. It made my stomach lurch too. Maybe skip the eggs this morning for me. A smoothie and some toast or a croissant is going to be about all I can manage I think. Maybe a yogurt."

Mom, who was over at the stove shook her head and handed me a chocolate croissant, a honey Greek yogurt, and a large blackberry, banana, and pomegranate smoothie she had just finished making. "Here sweetheart. Drink up. I made lots, all for you. And happy birthday. Do you want us to make anything special for you for dinner, or would you rather have us surprise you?"

"Thanks Mom. Whatever you want to make will be great, I'm sure. Maybe some cupcakes instead of a regular cake though? And no one has to go to any trouble. We're having a party this weekend for everyone, a _catered_ party, so everyone can relax and not worry about the food, and I don't need anyone to make a fuss. Honestly, I don't need anyone focusing on me anymore than they already are. Everyone has been doing so much for me lately, I feel a little overwhelmed." I smiled at the girls, eating cereal with a combination of spoons and fingers, covered in mess, but completely adorable. "Even the girls have been so good and so helpful, it seems like a wonderful birthday present."

Stephanie smiled at me, putting her bowl and spoon down. "Momma! You's sick and need hewp. You hewp us when we's sick, so we help you when you's sick. And the babies is making you sick. You has ta protect them. So we has ta hewp you more. Daddy explained it ta us."

I looked at Jack, smiling, with hint of humor in my eyes. "Did he? Hmm. And when was that?"

Tiana answered before Stephanie could answer. "When you was inna hospital. How come nobody towd us afore that? We knowed you protected us, but we didn't know you was protecting tha babies."

I looked at her, a little surprised. "I have to protect the babies for as long as I can. I have to protect you girls too. That's part of my job as a mommy. I have to make sure everybody is safe and happy. I never thought to tell you girls that was what was going on."

Sammi looked at me for a minute, then over to Mom. "Can I has some more cereaw Granma? I's hungry this morning." She looked down and patted her stomach. "My tummy is noisy. It sounds like a tiger." She grinned, then growled and roared a little. "Rawr. Wike that."

Mom laughed and gave her some more Cheerios and bananas, the girls favorite breakfast combo. Dani and Tiana both asked for more as well. I looked at them and shook my head. "My goodness! You girls are all so hungry this morning. Did someone forget to feed you last night?"

Dani giggled. "No Momma. We's just hungry again. Does ye and Daddy have ta leave soon?"

I nodded. Jack smiled at our daughters. "Yep. Daddy has ta take Momma in ta work, where we're going ta see Papa and a bunch of yer aunts and uncles, then we have ta go get Momma and tha babies checked out this afternoon. Tha doctor is going ta make sure everyone is healthy." I leaned on Jack shoulder and he stroked my hair. "I'm sure everything is good, but we just need ta double check so no one has any more surprises and we know everything is good."

The girls nodded and went back to eating. Jack and I resumed our meals as well. I ate slowly to make sure the food stayed put, but I still only just managed to keep the croissant down. The smoothie helped a lot and I managed to finish the whole thing. Mom offered to pour me some more, but I declined, so she put it in a to-go cup for me and made me take both that and the yogurt with me when I said I couldn't eat any more. I sighed and took them, kissing everyone goodbye, except Jack, who I still kissed, making everyone smile. Jack gave everyone hugs and we headed out the door, gathering our things from the living room, including the clothes for Mark, and headed out to the car. Jack looked at me and raised an eyebrow, a silent question, asking me if I was going to drive or if he should. He had gotten a driver's license after his accident, the summer after the show started, but he still didn't choose to drive often. I handed the keys over and climbed in the front passenger side of the car with a sigh. Jack took the keys and got in the driver's side, kissing my cheek once I was settled in. I looked at him. "I hate being so dizzy all the time. That really why I'm having you drive today. I was fine last night, but this morning I feel so much dizzier than I have in a long time. Please stick close today. I kind of have the feeling I may end up fainting once or twice."

Jack reached a hand over and rested it on my knee. "Always, love. Anything ye need, just tell Jackaboy. I'm here for ye, and Mark is too, if ye let him be."

I nodded and closed my eyes so I wouldn't throw up from the car ride as Jack drove in to work. We were the first ones in the office today, not an uncommon occurrence. Jack asked me to come up to his recording studio and record with him today, and I agreed. I left the change of clothes for Mark on my chair with a note for him, telling him where we were, and followed Jack into his recording setup. I grabbed my chair, the one the entire office had decided to decorate for me while I was out after my heart surgery, the one that looked like a throne on camera. Jack grinned as I settled in, patting my leg again, and he got to work getting everything set up to record and logged in. We synced the sound and video and settled in, recording a session of Plague, Inc. We recorded for nearly an hour and a half, getting two episodes worth of content, before I called a halt. I needed to go to the bathroom, so I headed back to my office, and Jack followed me, getting comfortable on one of the couches, working on social media for now. The light for Mark's office was on, so I walked over after I was done, carrying his clothes under my arm. and knocked gently on his door. He opened the door, looking grumpy, but his face cleared as soon as he saw me. "Babe? Are you here to talk to me?" Mark voice was small and sad.

"Yeah. Mark, I know you love me and this comes from love. You just can't keep smothering me, okay?" I looked down, playing with the clothes for him. "Here. I brought you some clothes from home."

Mark came over and took the clothes and kissed me gently, lifting my head to look me in the eye. "Thank you baby. I'm sorry I have been being such a pain. Are you going to let me come home tonight?"

I blinked. "Of course. And I'm letting you come to the doctor with me this afternoon, unless you don't want to. I mean, I'd appreciate it if you'd come over and talk in my office, but I understand if you're mad and want to keep your distance."

Mark smiled and grabbed me around the waist, resting his hands on my baby bump. "I'll come with you. We do need to talk, if only so I can apologize more properly." I closed my eyes and leaned into him, resting my head on his shoulder, just enjoying the moment and battling the dizziness back down. Mark was still looking at my face when I opened my eyes, an expression of worry mixed with love clear for me to read. "Come on baby. Let's go get you resting on the couch in your office. We can cuddle and talk in there. Do you want me to get Jack to join us, or do you want to just talk to me? I feel like I need the chance to make this up to you."

"Jack's already in my office, Mark. He and I were recording a few videos earlier. I asked to stop for a bathroom break and he came back with me. I think maybe he wanted to just spend the day with me until we need to leave for the doctor." Mark nodded and grabbed my hand, gently leading me back to my office and guiding me to the couch, settling me in next to Jack. He carried the clothes to my bathroom and changed. As soon as he came back out, he rushed over and sat down next to me, cuddling in close. I smiled and kissed him on top of the head, running my hands through his hair. 

"God, I love you baby. I missed you so bad last night." He looked at me, an expression of sadness on his face, before looking at Jack. "I missed you too Jack."

Jack grinned, nodding and reached over to rub Mark's shoulder. "Tha girls were asking about ye this morning, Markimoo. During breakfast. We told them ye'd be home tonight, so don't screw this up, okay?"

Mark blushed and looked down, nodding. "I'll do my best." He looked at me again, still hanging onto me like I was a life preserver and he was lost at sea. I was smiling a small, encouraging smile, but not saying anything, letting him get ready and start, waiting patiently. "Baby, I'm so sorry I didn't listen to you. You know better than I do what you need, and I'm an idiot. Can you forgive me?"

I nodded, softening a little. "Mark, I already have, mostly. I'm still going to get angry and frustrated if you don't change your behavior though. And you'll end up sleeping other places. Jack already promised to change, and he's doing a lot better today. All I really want is for you to wait until I ask for help, or to offer and see if I accept, instead of just assuming I need you to do everything for me." I sighed, looking at him closely. "Can you please do that for me?"

Jack hugged me from behind, resting his hands on my baby bump. "Mark, she explained it this mornin' ta me. It's like we've been assuming too much. She had me imagine if I were in her place, how it would feel if ye and she did that ta me, stepping in and just doing everything because I felt a bit sick all tha time, not even letting me do normal things like walking or playing games. I hadn't thought of it like that, so it really made me realize how much we've been overstepping."

I turned in my seat, reaching over to Jack and Hugging him. "Thank you. I'm glad you finally realized what it might be like for me. This is hard, and I know it's hard on both of you to see me struggling, but over-protecting me just makes my hormones go crazy. I'm already dealing with enough hormonal upheaval to kick most people's asses, so I need calm and no conflict more right now." I snuggled against Jack, Mark still hugging me from the other side, my hands resting on both of their backs. "I swear, we can do this. I mean, if you still want to. Mark, I asked Jack this while we were at home this morning, and I feel like I better clarify it with you too. Do you still want to try to have all eight babies? We should tell Dr. Sara today, either way. I mean, did my hospital visit change your mind?"

Mark looked startled, his hands immediately going to my tummy, as though he were protecting and shielding the babies from hearing me. It made a small smile cross my face for a few seconds, to be chased away with worry. He really looked panicked and I was concerned about his blood pressure and stress levels. In fact, I was a little afraid he was going to have a panic attack. I reached forwards and pulled him closer, soothing him as best I could. Mark looked at me, tears in his eyes. "Babe, I'll do whatever you want to do. I'd rather keep you happy and safe than risk your health just because we accidentally got you pregnant with more babies than you can handle. Besides, I'll love any kids we have. They are part of you, and I love you."

I rubbed his back, holding him close. "Mark, sweetheart, that's not what I asked. I already know how I feel. And I know what Jack told me he wants to do. I need to know what you feel. But first, I need you to calm down. I'm honestly afraid you're going to collapse from stress or have a massive panic attack. Everyone is doing fine. My medicines are helping me stay safe, I'm drinking as much healthy, nutritious stuff as I can stand, and I'm eating when I think my stomach can handle it. This morning, my stomach wasn't great, so all I managed was a croissant and HUGE smoothie, but Mom made me bring in a yogurt and some more smoothie, which I'm going to eat and drink right now. Do you want to sit with me while I eat?"

Mark nodded, refusing to move, staying draped over my baby bump in a tight embrace. I looked at Jack, who grinned and let me go, getting the food and drink, as well as a straw and plastic spoon. "Here love. Don't worry Mark. We're all watching out for her too. It's not all on ye."

Mark looked at Jack, the tears that had threatened earlier gently leaking down his face. I reached over and grabbed a tissue to wipe them away, but he took it from me and just scrubbed his face then blew his nose. "Sorry. Jack, I know you're helping take care of her, but for some reason, last night really got to me. I started worrying about what could happen to her if we weren't there. If you got deported suddenly. All my fears and worries meant I didn't sleep at all last night. Honestly, I was kind of worried right away, about you two getting home safely. I knew you should be fine, but all night long, my brain just kept sending me images of the two of you, laying dead in a ditch somewhere, or in a head-on collision, in the hospital dying or dead. Knowing you're safe now, I feel a little silly, but it was bad. So, so bad."

I move one of my hands to cup Mark's chin. "Sweetie, we were absolutely fine. If you were that worried, you could have called the house or texted one of us to make sure we got home okay. I mean, yes, I was still angry, but I would have sent back a short reply that we made it home okay. Or let Jack handle it. Or one of our Moms. By the way, they were all set to hold an intervention for you and Jack last night, about being over-protective." I shook my head and let Mark's chin go, a wry smile tugging at my lips. "Momiplier was looking particularly fierce when we came in, and was very encouraging of me making you stay somewhere else overnight. But enough dodging the question, Mark. Do you still want to keep all eight babies?"

Mark swallowed and nodded, a small tight gesture. His voice was barely audible when he spoke next. "If you think you can do it."

I smiled, looking considerably less grim. "I know I can. I just wanted to make sure you and Jack hadn't changed your minds on me. Eight babies is going to be crazy. And with the for girls already..."

Mark looked at me, the terror, sorrow, and haunted expression he had on his face since I first saw him this morning finally starting to fade. "You mean, we are keeping them all? I was afraid you had changed your mind when you had to go to the hospital and just hadn't mentioned it yet."

I chuckled. "No Mark. I'm still convinced this is the right thing to do. Besides, I really, really love these little ones already. It would kill me to get rid of any of them." I patted my baby bump fondly. "Even if they do make me feel like a fat blob. And make me sick all the time. And dizzy."

Mark and Jack both hugged me tight. "Baby, we love you. And these little ones, of course. We're just worried. You seem so much sicker and more tired than we like."

Jack nodded and ran a hand down my hair, trying to comfort me. "He's right love. Ye really do seem sicker this time around. And I know ye have more babies in there, but it still makes us worry." He continued to gently stroke my hair. "Ye seem ta be getting a little better, but we know ye have a long way ta go and it concerns us. Ye don't always remember ta take care of yerself tha way ye should, if we don't keep after ye."

I closed my eyes, leaning into the two men. "I am taking care of myself, you two. I swear, I'm doing exactly what the doctors are telling me to, taking it easy as much as I can, and asking for help when I need it. Haven't the two of you seen me ask for help, or were the two of you so busy jumping in with both feet to prevent me from moving or breathing on my own?" I grinned at them. "Seriously, guys, I _am_ asking for the help I need. Even though I can barely stand the thought of being this dependent, I know my limits and what sill be best for both me and the babies. I just need the two of you to calm down and give me a little space sometimes. I promise, if we do this, we can handle it, but only if you two support me the way I need, not how you seem to think I need." I chuckled, leaning into them again. "Now, let's talk about something else."

Mark hugged me tight, kissing my forehead. "Whatever you want babe. We should have figured out that you were being sensible." He leaned into me now, just staying close. "So, pretty lady, what do you want to do after the doctor's appointment this afternoon? Any plans?"

Jack grinned and kissed my hair. "Yeah, birthday girl, any requests? Do ye want ta go buy something after? Or would ye rather just go home and rest or play with tha girls?"

Mark suddenly went very still and blushed brightly. He looked up at me, trying to hide panic. "Oh shit. Babe, I'm so, so sorry. I forgot it was your birthday today. Oh god, not again. Please don't kill me."

I smiled and kissed Mark gently on the forehead, not letting him move away. "Sweetie, you and Jack have been running yourselves ragged taking care of me. I know you love me. I'm not thrilled you forgot my birthday again, but I'm not upset either. Calm down." Mark whimpered slightly and hugged me close, still looking terrified. Jack patted his shoulder. I just kept my eyes closed, smiling slightly. "Mark, baby, I'm really not mad. I was more mad about the way you've been acting than this. Just relax and cuddle with me for a while. I checked the schedule and none of us have anything urgent today, so we can actually goof off if we want. I'm tired and want snuggles."

Mark relaxed, slumping into me. "Really? I mean, I'm sorry you're tired, and you should definitely take a nap, but you're really not mad?"

I shook my head, then leaned heavily on Mark's shoulder as the room spun wildly. I made a small noise and passed out cold. When I came to, Mark and Jack were both hold me, propping me up between themselves and gently rubbing my back and talking to me, trying to get me to wake up. My eyes fluttered a little before I could properly open them. Jack saw first. "Love? Are ye back with us? Can ye say something please ta let us know yer okay?"

"What happened? I remember feeling dizzy then everything went dark."

Mark pulled me back into his chest, holding me in his lap, refusing to let me go. "Shit [y/n]. That was extremely scary. Are you alright?"

I sighed and snuggled into Mark's chest a little more. "Really dizzy, but yeah, I think I'm okay. I'm going to just stay here, snuggling into your chest, Mark, if that's okay."

Jack patted my shoulder. "Lass, whatever ye need. Just rest and let Mark and I take care of ye now. Ye really do need ta mention how bad yer dizziness is ta tha doctor."

I swallowed and answered him quietly. "I will. I'm sorry to be such a mess." I was hiding my face in Mark's chest now, silent tears rolling down my cheeks.

Mark lifted my chin with a gentle hand. "Baby, please don't cry. This isn't your fault. This is just a very hard thing for you. And it's hard for us to watch you feel this bad. We love you so much, and it hurts to see you struggle. That's why we've been hovering and trying to do everything for you." He wiped away some of the tears with his thumb. I sniffled and tried to stop the flow, but was unsuccessful. Tears slowly slid down my face, landing on my shirt. Jack reached over from his seat next to us and hugged us both, then sat back and stroked my hair and back, soothing me with his touch and the fact that he was there, caring, loving, and warm. I slowly settled back down, the tears stopping. Mark smiled at me as soon as he noticed, kissing me gently. "That's so much better. We hate seeing you cry. Now, you still look over tired. Can you please lay back and sleep, instead of passing out? I'm just going to hold you while you sleep. We'll be right here. We love you babe."

I smiled, closed my eyes and murmured my answer from nearly numb lips. "Thanks guys. I love you too." I was asleep almost as soon as I finished speaking. I woke up to Jack gently kissing me, a hand on my shoulder. Mark had me wrapped in his arms, cuddled into his chest, and was sound asleep. looking like it was the first time in days he had slept. Jack looked regretful as he woke me and I tried to blink the sleep out of my eyes. "Jack? What's wrong?"

Jack smiled softly. "Nothing love. Ye and Mark just need ta wake up now so we can go ta tha doctor and get everything checked out. Can ye help me wake him, please?"

I smiled and nodded. I leaned forward and gently kissed Mark, just under the ear, and quietly called to him. "Mark, baby, you need to wake up. Come on sweetheart, please?"

Mark's eyes fluttered open. He smiled and looked at me, snuggled into him. "Hello beautiful. What's up?"

I grinned at him. Jack answered. "Mark, ye need ta help us get our lovely lass ta her appointment. I'm sorry ta have ta wake tha two of ye up."

Mark nodded, letting me go with a sigh. I didn't move, making both men grin. "Come on babe. That's cheating. You have to cooperate with us. We can snuggle together later, at home, if you want." I frowned and let my arms fall from around Mark, but didn't sit up, making him chuckle. "That's a little better. Now, sit up please." I shook my head, scooting my bottom in closer and leaning my head on his shoulder. Jack laughed. Mark shook his head and kissed my hair. "Guess I'll just have to stand up and head out the door, carrying you then."

I smirked and closed my eyes. "Yep. Guess so. Jack didn't even need to wake me."

Jack laughed. "Yes, I did. Ye needed ta help me wake him up. Besides, a few people are waiting for ye outside tha door ta wish ye happy birthday. Can I let them in now?" I nodded and Jack got up and opened the door. Suddenly my office was full of people, our friends, my crew, the editors, Vicki and Danica, and the legal team. I blinked but before I could open my mouth, Jack jumped in. "Hi everybody! [Y/N] isn't feeling well, so she's cuddling Mark right now, but I know ye all wanted ta wish her a happy birthday before we left for tha doctor. Thanks for waiting when ye came by earlier and saw her napping. She needs ta rest more, but she's stubborn and refuses a lot of tha time, so thank ye all for waiting and not waking her up." I blushed as Jack said this, ducking my head further into Mark's chest, trying to hide my embarrassment. 

Mark grinned at me. "You know it's true babe. Calm down." Everyone laughed a little as I glared at him, then they brought me a pile of presents, a cake, and sang 'Happy Birthday' while I blew out the candle. Jack passed cake around, skipping me when I shook my head gently at him, and Mark leaned down to whisper to me again. "Are you okay babe? You're being awfully quiet."

I sighed and met his eyes. "I feel pretty sick. My stomach is upset again and I'm really, really dizzy. On top of that, everyone is being so sweet and understanding, and my hormones are running in circles. I'm just feeling overwhelmed, to be honest."

Mark kissed my forehead and held me close, rubbing my back. After a little while, after the cake was all gone and everyone had talked for a little while, people drifted out, leaving me alone with the guys. Jack leaned over and kissed me gently, then kissed Mark. "Come on ye two. We need ta head out now. Maybe we can stop at tha mall and buy ye some new maternity outfits, love, if ye feel up ta it after tha appointment. Does that sound fun?"

I smiled and nodded, following Jack out the door, Mark a half step behind me. Mark took the keys from Jack and drove us to the doctor, with Jack snuggling me the whole drive. We checked in with the front desk, and settled in chairs to wait. Before we knew it, we were back in with Dr. Sara, who was giving me the exam. She looked at me closely and asked if we had any questions as she finished up. I volunteered one. "Dr. Sara, what can we do about the dizziness? I mean, it seems worse now than any of my other symptoms, and it's what's making me pass out. Is there something I should be doing, that I missed?"

Dr. Sara looked thoughtful. "No, no, I think you're doing everything you can be to be healthy. And as for the dizziness, let's chat about that for a little while, shall we? Hmm..." Dr. Sara typed a few thing on her computer, going over my file. "Okay, we're going to need to take a little more blood to test for a few things down at the lab, but one of the side effects of the new anti-nausea medicine is dizziness, so this could just be from that medicine and the pregnancy. I'm not inclined to get too worried yet, but we can't have you keep getting so dizzy you pass out, so we can give you a medication to help fight the dizzy spells. And before you ask, I'm got one that's perfectly safe for pregnant women in mind. It should help a lot. I want you to start taking it today, and call the office if you don't start felling better by Monday. Now, let me just take a quick blood sample, send it down to the lab, and we can get you scheduled for the next appointment. Does that sound good, or do you have any other concerns or questions for me? I'm quite pleased with your weight gain so far, by the way. And now that we know you are holding down food and drinks better with the new meds, we can get them refilled for you." She looked up at the guys and me. "Anything else?"

We all shook our heads. I smiled. "Well, just one thing. We are keeping all the babies. I mean, unless something happens that forces us to change our minds. And now that you have me on medication for that's actually working for the morning sickness, and are starting me on one for the dizziness, I can't think of anything that would happen to make us change our minds. I am pretty much only throwing up when I first get up in the morning now, or occasionally when a smell hits me really strongly. And I am drinking as much as I can stand, mostly water, tea, and juice, to help with the dehydration problem."

"Good. Now, roll up your sleeve please." Dr. Sara took the blood sample, filling two small tubes, then sent them to the lab with a nurse who was in the hall. When she turned back to us, she smiled again and sat back down at her computer, making a few more notes, then printing out the prescription orders for me. She handed them over and Jack took them, holding on to them while we scheduled my next appointment, on the second Saturday in October, three weeks from today. "One final note for the three of you. I won't be doing an ultrasound next time, but that's only because I want to do one at the visit after that, the sixteen week check-up, when we'll be able to see the babies genders, unless you want it to remain a surprise. If you do, I'll schedule the ultrasound for next appointment and make sure everything is still looking good."

I grinned. "I'd like to know what genders the babies are. Guys?"

Mark smiled and nodded, taking my hand. Jack looked at me, grinning, and shook his head a little. "Ye get so excited every time ye have an ultrasound and ye get ta see those fuzzy images. Yes, of course we want ta see tha babies genders. And we really don't want any more surprises if we can avoid them. Thanks Dr. Sara. Ye've been great, as always, and helped Mark and I feel better about all this too. Is there anything we need ta watch for right now?"

Dr. Sara smiled at Jack and shook her head. "Just what you were told before, to watch for dehydration, make sure your girlfriend, or should I say fiancee, gets enough to eat and sleeps enough, and to avoid stress as much as possible." I blushed a little and Jack's grin got a little bigger at Dr. Sara's mention of the proposal. She winked and sent us on our way. 

Mark helped me off the exam table, putting my shoes back on me, and Jack held a hand behind my back, guiding me gently out of the office, steering me to the car, where he climbed in the backseat with me and snuggled me for the ride home. Mark got in and drove us to the pharmacy, running in and dropping off the prescriptions while Jack and I waited in the car. When Mark came back, he turned to us, smiling. "So, birthday girl, we have at least an hour before the meds are going to be ready. What do you want to do? Lunch out? Go shopping for some new clothes? Go look at baby stuff? Or just head home for a nap and snuggles?"

I grinned. "All of those sound amazing. Why don't we go to the mall first, get lunch there and go look at baby stuff and buy some bigger clothes for me. God knows I'm going to outgrow all the maternity outfits I have now before I know it. And I need some more close to the sizes I'm in now anyway. Then we can swing by to get the medicines on the way home, where we can nap and snuggle for the rest of the afternoon." I yawned. "Not that I think I'm going to have much shopping stamina today. I'm pretty tired. I'll probably fall asleep on the drive home too."

Jack smiled at me. "Good. Ye need more rest. Ye heard tha doctor. Eating and sleeping are going ta be yer number one priority this weekend. Ye've finally started drinking enough, but ye still aren't eating much. It makes us worry, lass."

I nodded. "I know sweetie. I'm trying. I'm just so tired all the time, and I can only sleep so much. And I still can't handle much food without throwing up." Jack nodded and pulled me into his arms for a hug, not releasing me after, just holding me close while we cuddled and Mark drove to the mall. When we got there, Mark found us a good parking spot, close to the mall entrance with the baby stores and food court, and we all climbed out, both men assisting me as soon as they could get themselves out and around to help. Once I was out of the car, Jack wrapped an arm around my waist on one side, while Mark draped his arm around my shoulders on the other. They leaned in and kissed my cheeks, then guided me into the mall. We grabbed food first, opting for tacos, which we ate as we walked to the baby boutique. We browsed the furniture, clothes, toys, and various supplies for about half an hour before I called a halt to things and had us go to the maternity clothes store. "Guys, I know this is lots of fun to look at, but we really do need to go get me some new clothes. The babies won't be here until next year, and I strongly suspect we aren't going to have to buy anything, again. Hell, we still have a lot of things from when the girls were born, but I think as soon as some of the bigger companies hear I'm having octuplets, we're going to get corporate sponsorship offers again." I smiled ruefully. "I think we might need to buy a bus to get everyone around though. I don't think any car is going to fit eight baby seats and four toddler seats."

Mark grinned. "We'll figure it out babe. But you're right, we do need to buy you some new clothes. Come on, let's go find something pretty for you." He leaned over and kissed me. When we broke apart, he smiled happily. "Not that you aren't gorgeous in everything you wear all the time anyway. You're so damn sexy, it make my brain melt. I love you baby."

I smiled at him, resting my head on his shoulder for a moment. Jack grinned and hugged me, claiming a kiss of his own. "Mark's right love. Ye are incredible. And I love ye too." I smiled at Jack now, and let the two men lead me to the maternity clothing store a few doors away. I picked out a few outfits for now, adding them to a cart, then went looking for some larger clothes as well. I ended up with a small pile, then got ready to go pay when the guys stopped me. "Love, ye need more than this. Are ye getting too tired?" I blushed and looked down, nodding a little. Jack kissed me again, softly, and grabbed my hands. "Go sit on tha bench outside tha store then. Mark and I will get this stuff for ye and find ye a few more things, then meet ye there. Unless ye want one of us ta come wait with ye?" Jack raised an eyebrow.

I smiled at him. "I'd love it if one of you could come with me, but I don't need you to. And thanks guys." 

Mark looked at Jack, wordlessly communicating something before he walked with me out to the bench and sat down, pulling me into his lap to cuddle. "Jack can handle getting the clothes for you babe. He'll snuggle you on the way home. Now, just relax and rest. I've got you." I smiled and nodded, closing my eyes tiredly. I didn't mean to fall asleep, but I did, only to have Mark gently wake me up to walk me out to the car when Jack was done a little while later. Mark helped me into the back seat next to Jack and I curled into Jack's side, immediately falling back asleep. Jack stroked a hand down my back and rested the other on my baby bump, a fact I barely registered until I woke up as we pulled into our driveway an undetermined amount of time later. Mark grinned when I opened my eyes. "Hey there sleeping beauty, feel any better? We got your new medication, a few groceries, and we just got home. Now, let's get you inside where you can nap more comfortably, okay?" I allowed the guys to get me out of the car, not even protesting a little when Mark carried me in and settled me on the couch. He made Jack sit down with me, and walked away to unload the car. I curled back into Jack's warm presence and was asleep again in a minute.

The next time I woke up, it was to the smell of food. I opened my eyes slowly and looked around. Jack and Mark were both curled up next to me, sound asleep. Mom was sitting in an armchair nearby, reading and occasionally looking over at us and smiling fondly. No one else was around. As soon as Mom saw me moving, she looked up and smiled. "Hey baby. You three were all wiped out, so we decided to let you sleep for a while. Dinner will be in about half an hour or so. How are you feeling now?"

I yawned. "Less tired. Thanks Mom." Mom waved a hand and got up, getting me a big glass of iced tea, then settled back down with her book again. I drank some of the tea, settling back to try to shake the sleep fog out of my brain, but honestly, all I wanted to do was go back to sleep, so I finished the tea and closed my eyes again, resting my head on Mark's shoulder. I was asleep again before I knew it. I didn't wake up again until it was time to put the girls to bed. I went in and helped with that, then Mark, Jack, and I, who had all slept through dinner, went into the kitchen and had a late meal. After we finished, we cleaned up and headed for the bedroom. Mark had carried all my presents from our coworkers and my staff in here, so I decided to open them now, making note of who got me what. The presents were all thoughtful and lovely, and by the time I was done, I was tired again, so I headed for the bathroom and cleaned up then climbed in bed. Jack and Mark were already there, having watched me open gifts around getting ready themselves, and were now working on social media on laptops. Mark looked at me as I settled in between them, a smile on his face. I kissed him goodnight then turned and kissed Jack goodnight a moment later, curling up and falling asleep immediately. I didn't wake back up until the next morning.


	19. Party Time! Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to party. Will you be feeling up to it, or will the pregnancy make this party a dud for you?

Since Ken and I had decided on a shared party, we had also opted to just have it last all weekend. There would be food delivered twice a day for both Saturday and Sunday, with people on hand to set the tables of food up and make sure things didn't run out, allowing everyone at the party to just relax and enjoy themselves. Mom, Dee, Ma, and Momiplier had all protested, claiming it wasn't right to pay someone to do what they could do for free, but I had been firm, insisting that they would be more help watching the girls for us and enjoying the party. They still protested, but the protests got weaker as the party got more and more set up. I had also enlisted them to help decorate, around watching the girls, and man the door. Pa was helping with the decorations too, as were Mark and Jack, when they weren't sitting with me, making sure I wasn't overdoing anything. Sammi and Dani were running around squealing, going back and forth between the decorated dining room, the back patio, where there were more decorations and things for a pool party, watching for guests out the front windows, and the playroom, where Tiana and Stephanie had decided to just ignore the goings on for the moment, but were getting regular updates from their sisters. That meant someone had to follow Sammi and Dani as they ran around, and since they both tended to run separately from each other, two people had to be dedicated to this task. I was amused, overseeing everything from the couch, where I could see into the playroom, had a clear view of the front door, and could see just a little of the dining room as well. Finally, Mark grabbed Dani and picked her up, settling her on his shoulders while he walked around. She was bossing him around, much to our amusement, telling him where to go next and squealing with excitement every time she saw something new going on or the decorations changed slightly. Sammi grabbed Jack's hand and looked up at him not long after Mark picked Dani up. "Daddy, come sit with Momma and I, pwease. I think she's wonely."

I smiled when I heard her, but hid my expression before they got over to me, welcoming both of them. "Hi baby. Hey Sean. How's the party prep going?"

Sammi snuggled into me immediately, taking the space between the arm of the couch and me. Jack sat down on my other side, hugging me and leaning on my shoulder. "Hey love. Thank ye for being so sensible and relaxing over here on tha couch while everyone gets ready. It's making Mark and I a lot more comfortable and we can get a lot more done this way."

I smiled and kissed the top of his head. "Anything for you sweetie. Besides, it's kind of fun to watch everybody running around like crazy around me. Especially you and Mark, chasing the girls. Dani and Sammi have been keeping the two of you on your toes this morning, haven't they?" I looked down at Sammi. "Were you and Dani having fun, baby?"

Sammi giggled. "Yep. Weren't ye bored, just sitting here though Momma?"

I smiled and shook my head. "Nope. Momma was watching everybody and resting. Your baby brothers or sisters are still making Momma really tired, even if they aren't making me throw up constantly anymore. Besides, it can be really fun to watch everyone else running around. Just watch with me for a few minutes." I winked at her. "Everybody looks like they are running around working like bees or ants."

Sammi giggled, covering her mouth with one hand and watched. Jack stayed quiet, watching with us. The activity levels around us really did look like someone had kicked a anthill or knocked over a beehive. We could see almost everything going on and hear a buzz of activity. Sammi snuggled closer to me and giggled as she watched. "Wow, Momma, you's right. This is nice and fun. I's going ta sit here with ye, if ye don't mind."

I kissed her forehead. "Of course not baby. I love snuggling with any of my girls. Or their daddies." I turned to Jack with a smile. "I love all of you so, so much." I looked down and rubbed my baby bump. "I'm happy with how wonderful my life is lately. Even with how sick I've been since we got back from PAX. These babies are going to be wonderful, just like our wonderful princesses have been." Jack smiled and leaned up, kissing me. I kissed him back, making Sam giggle again. When Jack and I sat back again, I looked at her with a smile.

"Momma, I's glad ye and Daddy love each other. And Papa. And aw of tha rest of us." She hugged me then patted my baby bump. "And I's gwad tha babies aren't making ye sick as much anymore. That was scary. It bad when ye's sick. 'Speciawy when ye had ta go ta tha hospitaw. We was aw scared for ye."

I patted her back. "I know baby. I was scared too. It was scary to be so weak I couldn't even sit up or hold my head up in bed. That's why I'm taking extra good care of myself and listening to what the doctors are telling me. I need everyone to be safe, me included." I sighed. "And I know I've been a little grumpy lately. I'm sorry about that. I just can't stand not being able to do things for myself sometimes."

Sammi nodded and patted my arm, comforting me, a sweet gesture I very much appreciated. "Ye're a good Momma. Everybody has bad days sometimes. And if ye don't feew good, it can be badder than normaw."

Jack smiled at Sammi, leaning over my to hug her. "How'd ye get so smart Sam? Ye're absolutely right. But the word is worse, not badder." 

I shook my head a little. Sam looked thoughtful, then nodded. "Okay Daddy. I's going ta remember that from now on." She grinned up at me and put her hand on my belly. "When wiw tha babies be big enough ta feew them moving?"

I sighed. "Not for a long time pumpkin. Momma is only about two and a half months into the pregnancy. Babies take almost a whole year to grow in their mommies tummies, so it's going to be a while still. Momma just looks bigger than most ladies who at the same stage of having babies because there are so many in there." I looked down at my ever growing baby bump, mixed emotions playing across my face. "The doctor told me that I'm doing a good job so far, but it's hard for Momma to feel so big and awkward so early." I smiled. "But the good thing is, Momma knows what to expect this time around. Last time, I didn't know what it was the first few times I felt the four of you girls moving. And it was a few weeks later before Papa and Daddy could feel you moving too."

"Why Momma? Was we shy?"

I shook my head. "No. You were all just moving inside my tummy and weren't big enough yet for anyone else to feel the movements. That didn't last long though. Nana helped me figure out that it was you girls. At first, it felt really strange, kind of like bubbles or a butterfly wing moving inside me."

Sammi's eyes got huge. "Wow. Is all pregnant wadies tummies aw hard and round wike yers?"

I sighed again. "Well, not all of them are as big as mine. But yes, Sammi. All pregnant ladies bellies get round and hard, at least if the pregnancy is normal. Occasionally a lady might not get a round belly, if she doesn't put on weight properly. Babies take a lot of room and need lots and lots of water and food, so it's important for women who are going to have a baby, or more than one baby, to take very good care of themselves. Otherwise, the baby can get sick or die before they are born." I looked at her, a little sadly. "It's scary and bad. That's why Momma's so careful and Papa and Daddy are worried. But Momma is doing really well so far, according to the doctors. The babies are right on track, even though they are teeny tiny still. And Momma's chest is getting bigger because that's how babies eat right after they are born. At least some of the time, anyway." I looked at Jack, who was watching the two of us interact. "I think Papa and Daddy are going to have to help feed the babies when they get here though, from bottles. Momma can't make enough food for eight little mouths at once right away, at least I don't think I can."

Sammi looked amazed. "What do babies eat? And how does ye make it Momma?"

I smiled. "Babies eat special milk. Momma's body makes it and it comes out of my chest. That's why my chest is getting big. It's getting ready to make food for all the new babies."

Sam tilted her head, looking thoughtful. "Doesn't that hurt?"

Jack grinned. "Ye're so smart Sam. Yeah, Momma's chest is sore a lot right now, from how fast it's growing. And feeding tha babies will make it sore too, but it'll make tha babies grow up big and strong, like you four. Momma fed all four of ye, after ye were born too." Jack stroked Sam's hair, then rested a hand on my baby bump. I smiled at him. Sammi looked surprised, but nodded and settled in against my side again. She yawned, sleepily, making me yawn as well. "Well, lasses, I think ye both should cuddle up under this blanket and take a wee little nap. What do ye say?"

I nodded, looking down at Sammi. She crossed her arms for a minute, looking grumpy, then looked at me. "Momma has ta stay here and nap too. I want ta nap with her."

I yawned again and nodded. Sammi grinned and stood up, letting me lay down on the couch, then she crawled up with me, curling up next to me. Jack smiled and dragged the beanbag chair over, stroking our hair and softly humming to us both until we fell asleep a few minutes later. I woke up to see Dani trying to climb up on the couch with us. I smiled and reached over to her, gently rubbing her shoulder. "Hey Dani, what's going on?"

"Momma. I's sorry. I wanted ta snuggle with ye too. I didn't mean ta wake ye up."

I yawned again and saw her yawn too. Sammi slept on, cuddled into my back. I reached over and helped Dani onto the couch, scooting around so she could get comfortable with us. She climbed under the blankets and closed her eyes, falling asleep almost instantly. I yawned one more time before I too fell back asleep. The next time I woke up, it was to Tiana and Stephanie curling up against me as well, cuddling into my legs and belly. I smiled sleepily at them as they settled in for a nap and closed my eyes once more, asleep before I knew what was going on. I woke up to a loud clatter in the dining room. I stretched, careful not to disturb the girls, and yawned a few times, trying to shake the sleep out of my brain. Jack and Mark, who had been behind the couch watching us all sleep, came around to check on me.

"Hey babe. How are you feeling? And how did you get the girls down for naps so easily? Mom said they've been fighting them all week."

I grinned at Mark. "Magic Momma powers." Jack chuckled quietly. I winked at him. "Seriously though, they all came over to snuggle and fell asleep. Ti and Steph just crawled under the covers and were asleep right away. Dani had me help her up so she could nap with me. Jack made Sammi and I take naps." I yawned again, making my jaw crack. "Oof. Now, what time is it? I know people were supposed to start getting here for the party around two, but I really don't know what time it is now. And I feel sleepy, hungry, dizzy, and mildly sick to my stomach. So basically, about how I feel most of the time lately." I looked down at the girls, watching them sleep for a minute, a small smile playing across my face. "They look so peaceful right now. How did we ever get so lucky?"

Mark rubbed my shoulder with one hand. "You do great work as a Mom, sweetheart. And Jack and I can get you some lunch if you want. It's about twelve thirty now, so we have some time before the party starts and people start getting here. I'm sorry you still feel this bad babe."

I smiled at Mark. "I'll live. Honestly, it's not that bad right now. And The girls are helping me stay warm right now too. They're so cuddly and warm when they sleep on me like this. I miss doing this with them all the time, like I did when they were tiny." I sighed and leaned my head against Mark's hand, which was resting on my shoulder. "I love you Mark." I looked at Jack. "I love you too Sean. I can't tell you enough lately. You've been helping me so much, and putting up with my hormonal moodiness so well. Thank you both, from the bottom of my heart. I know this is hard on both of you."

Jack shook his head, settling down on the beanbag chair, located by my head at the moment. "Love, ye know we love ye just as much as ye love us. And we both know it's a lot harder on ye than it is one us. Besides, it's partly our fault ye feel this way. Of course we're going ta be here and help in every way we can. Ye do tha same when we need it. Now, what do ye think ye can eat right now? Soup? A salad? A Sandwich? Leftovers from one of our recent dinners? What sounds good?"

I closed my eyes, thinking. When I opened them, Jack was looking right into my face. I raised an eyebrow, silently asking him what was going on. He just shook his head and kissed the tip of my nose. I smiled at him. "How about some grilled cheese sandwiches for the girls and I. I think I feel Sammi and Dani starting to wake up." Sure enough they both sat up, rubbing their eyes a few moments later. They hugged me, burying their faces in my sides as they tried to wake up more. Mark and Jack both grinned and nodded, heading for the kitchen to make lunch for all of us. I shifted slightly, so I could sit up and felt Tiana and Stephanie wake up as well, so I pulled myself into an upright sitting position and drew all four girls in closer, cuddling them to me. I looked down at four happy, sleepy faces. "Did you all have good naps with Momma, girls? Daddy and Papa are making some grilled cheese for lunch, and I thought we could just stay here snuggling, eat our lunches, and watch some TV. How does that sound?"

Dani grinned. "Amazing! Thank ye Momma! *MWAH* Smoochies!" I grinned as all four girls gave me 'smoochies' and we settled back into the cushions, getting more comfy. Tiana and Sammi crawled into my lap, both of them patting the baby bump behind them and whispering to the babies to be good. I smiled at the sweetness. Dani and Steph just curled into my sides more, cuddling close. This was how Mom and Ma found all of us, five minutes later, when they came in the room. They grinned at us.

"Well, ladies, you all look comfortable. Can we steal any of you away from your Momma to snuggle with us? Or is this special Momma daughter time?"

The girls all looked torn, but in the end, Ti and Steph opted to go snuggle their grandmothers curling up in their laps with spare blankets. I looked at Ma and Mom, seeing the joy on their faces, and grinned. "Well, Mom, Ma, since you stole some of my snuggle buddies, you ladies can put the movie in for us please. Anything over there in the purple binder would be great. And Jack and Mark will be out with some grilled cheese in a few minutes."

Mom nodded and found the movies, selecting one from the binder and popping it in the DVD player. Before very long, the girls were completely enthralled, watching old episodes of Sesame Street and eating the grilled cheese their fathers brought our for them. Jack settled on the couch next to me after he passed out sandwiches to the four girls. Mark headed back into the kitchen to make a few more sandwiches and bring me my food. Then he too settled on the couch, on my other side, for snuggles. We stayed like this, eating and watching Sesame Street and the girls, for a good while. Mom finally noticed the time and told us we needed to get ready for the party, the guests would be here in less than half an hour. The girls all carried their plates in the kitchen and handed them up to Mom who was washing them, and toddled off to go wash their hands and faces. Mark went to help, taking Jack's plate as well as his and mine. Jack helped me up and I headed to the bedroom to change into a swim suit and put a dress over top. I was ready just as the first of our friends and guests arrived. I headed out of the bedroom, settling back on the couch to greet everyone. Pa was opening the door, letting people in, at least for now, and I heard, Ma, Dee, and Momiplier talking to the girls, now in the playroom. A few seconds later, I heard Mark and Jack coming down the hall from the back of the house, talking to Mom. I smiled and settled back into the cushions, getting comfy. Mark immediately relieved Pa of door duties, introducing Matt and Ryan to him, as they were the first guests to arrive. Pa lead them into the living room, where Mom was getting settled in an armchair, and Jack was already sitting next to me on the couch. I smiled at them happily. "Hi guys. Thanks for coming to our party. You're actually the first ones here." I waved a hand. "Make yourselves at home, as usual. We have some food in the dining room, and more out back by the pool. The girls are in the play room, or what used to be my office, with Mark's moms, and Jack's mom. That's my mother over there." I grinned at Mom. "Mom, this is Matt and Ryan, from work. You've heard me talk about them plenty, right?" 

Mom laughed. "Yeah, between the stories I've heard from you, Jack, Mark, and Eddie, I feel like I know these guys pretty well. Hi boys. You can call me Mrs. [y/l/n], or [y/n]'s mom, or whatever you're most comfortable with. I answer to a lot of different things." She smiled, stood up and shook their hands, then settled back in her seat.

Jack grinned at Matt and Ryan as well. "Glad ye could make it. This should be a fun weekend, and ye are both welcome ta stay here for that whole time, if ye'd like. we have room upstairs, near tha girls bedrooms, or ye could sleep down in our Man Cave."

I shook my head at Jack. "You guys know how much I hate that you call that room that, right?"

Jack grinned at me, unrepentant. "Yep. And we know ye never go in there either."

I shook my head, my eyes dancing. "Well, you'd both be wrong about that. I just wait until you and Mark aren't looking, or aren't home, then sneak in and move things around on you. I've heard both of you blame each other for it." I laughed at his shocked expression, then drew him in for a kiss. "I thought you guys might have figured it out by now, especially since nothing has been moved down there since before PAX. Sure, I don't move things around all the time, but the dates just lined up too perfectly for me to think you hadn't noticed."

Jack blushed and ducked his head. I grinned wider at him. Matt and Ryan were laughing a little. Even Mom looked amused. Mark walked over, to see what was going on, and looked around the room. When he noticed Jack's blush and my expression, he immediately asked what was going on. "Hmm. I know that look. What did you do to poor Jack now, babe?"

I turned my amusement on Mark. "Well, it's apparently the prank I pulled on both of you. Jack admitted neither of you had figured out that I was the poltergeist in your stupid Man Cave, downstairs. I kind of assumed one, or both, of you would have figured it out since nothing had been moved since we got back from PAX and I was sick. Or is it just because the two of you have hardly been down there since then?"

Mark blushed now too. "Um. Maybe? I mean, I can't say I ever noticed a pattern to how things were moved, or when they moved, just that we would both swear things looked different than the last time either of us had been in the room. And one time it happened we were both so freaked out that we didn't go back in for a few days. Lately, we've both been so busy and so worried about you, we've hardly been in there at all."

I shook my head at him, still grinning. "I make a good gremlin. I'll keep that in mind. And the only pattern to the pranks was every time you'd call it the Man Cave, and imply I wasn't welcome, I'd move things around. Usually, whichever of you said it, I'd make sure was the one whose stuff got moved. So Mark, dear, if you said it, I'd move your stuff. And Jack, love, if you siad it, your stuff would be somewhere new and creative. I knew it spooked you both. Actually, it's a lot of fun and I'm a little sad to be admitting I was doing it, because now I have to give it up, but I thought you two had already guessed." I sighed. "I guess I'll have to find a new way to keep you in line for the future."

Pa and Mom both cracked up, nearly doubling over with laughter. Matt looked at me, grinning hugely. Ryan just laughed. Then he added a comment that made my two men blush and me laugh as well. "Like you need the extra help. I'm sure there are things you could do to keep them in line on this floor of the house."

Jack just snuggled in close to me, burying his blushes in my shoulder. I looked at him and kissed his head, making sure to keep the hair out of my mouth. He looked up into my face after a few seconds. "Love, ye definitely keep us on our toes. We never realized ye were doing that though. It is kinda funny. I never meant ta make ye feel like we were trying ta keep ye out though. Calling it that really makes ye feel that way?"

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, that's kind of the point. What if I had a room that I called something sexist and said only women could come into? How would you feel about that? Especially in our own home. Or what if the girls all wanted a 'No boys allowed' room? It'd be a lot harder to tell them no, especially if all they have to do was point out that their daddies have a similar room. And, just so we're clear here, I'm not asking either of you to change anything about the room, except what you call it, especially in front of our daughters, potential sons, and me. Our mothers can all keep you in line other ways, and I'll let them handle this if they think it's an issue for them. I think, if you must call it something separate, just call it the Cave, or the basement entertainment room. I don't use a dumb name for my art room, and I don't try to keep anyone out of it either."

Both men had winced as I mentioned the fact that it was here at the house and paled when I asked how they would feel if the girls pulled something similar. Pa was still chuckling. "She's got ye dead ta rights boys. Ye best listen, while she's still being sweet about it. I've no doubt she could do something ye'd both like a lot less, if ye vex her. Or she might just plant some ideas in yer daughters heads. They are all being more clingy ta her than normal anyway, and want ta spend more time with her, so I doubt she'd have ta do very much ta get tha two of ye on the other side of a load of doors in this house." He grinned at me. "Good on ye for setting them straight and not putting up with their nonsense." Pa shook his head and looked at Jack. "I've no notion where ye got this idea, but I know ye didn't get it from me."

Jack's blush deepened. "Sorry Pa. Love, ye never said this bothered ye. I'm so sorry. We didn't do it ta hurt ye, or make ye feel excluded. We were just being dumb. Can ye forgive us?" I nodded and snuggled into his side, shivering slightly from a sudden chill. Jack wrapped his arms tighter around me and pulled me as close as he could, his hands resting on my baby bump and his chin on my shoulder. "Love, are ye alright? Are ye feeling sick again?"

I shook my head. "No. Just cold. For some reason, today I just can't get warm enough."

Mark came over and kissed the side on my head. "Babe, this happened with the girls too. Remember? You snuggled into Jack and I for the first couple of months you knew you were pregnant because you were so cold all the time.Let's get you under a couple more blankets and you just relax and cuddle with either Jack, the girls, or I all weekend, okay sweetheart? I don't want you to feel uncomfortable if snuggles will help and we definitely don't mind helping you." I smiled at him and nodded, accepting the blankets he pulled over for me, making sure not to bury Jack along with me. No need to make him feel overly warm just because the babies were sucking away all my heat. Jack helped me adjust them and leaned into me, heating up the side of my body where he was sitting, offering a calm, soothing, warmth just by being there. I smiled at him and rested my head on his chest, happy in the moment. 

Ryan made me look up a minute later by making an aww noise. I raised an eyebrow at him. "It's sweet. You still clearly love both Mark and Jack, even with all the shit they put you through, after being with them for over three years now. We never thought Mark would make it this long."

I laughed when Mark made an indignant noise. "Mark, sweetheart, Ryan's just teasing." I looked over at him. "I don't see anyone here with you, bucko. Maybe you best be tending to your own love life before attacking someone who actually has one." Ryan blushed and ducked his head, clearly embarrassed. 

Mark leaned over and kissed me gently. "Thanks for sticking up for me babe." He looked over at Ryan and shook his head.

I suddenly grinned impishly, catching both Mark's and Jack's attention. They raised eyebrows at me. I chuckled. "I would think having a girlfriend who already had four of your children would make my feelings kind of obvious. If not, the fact that we have eight more on the way should be fairly convincing." I turned my face up to Mark's smiling one now. "Love you Markimoo." He leaned down and kissed my upturned face. I smiled as we separated and leaned back into Jack, snuggling into him and kissing him as I did so. "Love you too, Jack. Thanks for sitting with me so much today. I know you probably had better things to do, getting ready for the party and all, so I appreciate it."

Jack smiled and shook his head, looking at me, love and happiness shining out of his expressive blue eyes. "No, love. Ye are more important than anything we had ta do for tha party. Besides, ye planned everything out so well, we just had ta oversee things today. Ye hardly left us anything ta do ourselves, other than take care of ye and watch tha girls. Then ye got all of them ta take that nap this morning with ye." He shook his head. "Our moms were all quite impressed with that. Ye know tha girls have been fighting naptime and getting cranky in tha afternoon because of it."

I smiled. "They all volunteered this morning. I think they just wanted to nap with me. They've been being so sweet, trying to look after me so much lately. Everyone has. And I'm letting all of you." I sighed again. "I just wish this wasn't so hard on all of you. I know it's hard to watch me be sick, tired, and uncomfortable all the time. And I'm trying to make sure everything runs as smoothly as possible, especially if I can't over see things directly, like usual. Forcing myself to slow down and go easier is probably the hardest part of all of this, except maybe the actual throwing up, which is pretty well managed now, with this new medication. Thanks for being so good to me." I looked down, starting to feel choked up. 

Mark and Jack both leaned in and hugged me close. I fought back tears, my emotions running completely away with me. When Jack kissed my shoulder, they broke free and I started softly crying. He pulled my head down onto his shoulder, wrapping an arm around my head and neck to cradle me closer and stroke my hair soothing me. I just let the tears flow for a minute or two, then fought them back down, sniffling into Jack's shirt. He raised my head a minute later, hearing the change in my breathing. "Better lass? I know sometimes yer hormones get away with ye lately and ye need a minute ta collect yerself. Is that what happened here?"

I nodded, wordlessly agreeing, still trying to calm myself into some semblance of normal. Mark reached over with a tissue and gently dried my eyes and cheeks, lifting my face up by the chin, gently as a whisper. "Babe." I looked into Mark's eyes again. "Just remember you do a lot for all of us too. And we love you, more than we can express. We like taking care of you, when you let us. So thank you for slowing down, for our sakes, as much as your own." He smiled a half smile. "We need you around for a good long time still." Then he kissed my forehead and let my chin go. 

Before I could say anything, or let my hormones race away from me again, the girls came running out, squealing, headed for the front door. I heard them yelling about 'Unca Eddie, Unca Ray, Unca Danny, Aunt Suzy and Unca Arin', so I suspected we had some additional guests arriving. Mark groaned and stood up, following the girls to the front door. Sammi grabbed the handle and tried to open it to let people in, but we had installed a safety handle and none of the girls could quite manage to open it alone yet. It gave us peace of mind to know they couldn't wander outside, alone, in the dark or when we were distracted. especially since Sammi and Dani were such explorers, liking to run free and not waiting for an adult most of the time. They were more careful about strangers than Ti and Steph, but were also likely to just run off in a random direction more than their sisters. When Sammi couldn't open the door, she looked at Mark. "Papa! Hurry up. We seed a bunch of tha unca's coming. And Aunt Suzy was with them. Is they going ta visit us? Is Katie gonna be here too? Can we play princesses with them? Pwease?"

I chuckled, making Tiana and Stephanie look over at the couch. They spotted Matt and Ryan a second later and ran over to hug them. Dani followed, but after she hugged them and said hello, she crawled up on the couch next to me and snuggled into my side. I looked down at her and smiled. She looked up at me and grinned. "Momma, can I just snuggle with ye this afternoon?"

I picked her up, carefully, and hugged her close. "Well, if you want to, of course. But Momma is going to be kind of boring, probably. We're going to be having a big party for me and Uncle Ken, and it's going to last all day today and tomorrow, but Momma's probably going to spend most of it curled up under blankets, trying to stay warm and not be sick. Most of our favorite people are coming, so lots of your Aunts and Uncles are going to be here, and you might want to play with them instead. Or with Nana, Grammy, Granny, Grandma, or Grampa. I don't mind."

Dani shook her head. "No. I stay with ye and tha babies." 

Jack chuckled. "Okay little love. Momma didn't say no. Ye just might get bored is all. Maybe later ye can come out ta tha pool with Papa and I and go swimming. Ye can show all yer aunts and uncles how good ye are in tha water. Does that sound like fun?"

"Will Momma come too?"

I sighed. "Probably. Momma needs a little exercise. The doctors told me swimming would be a good thing to do, as long as I go easy." Dani grinned and patted my shoulder, then curled up against me, tucking her head on my shoulder and playing with my hair. I smiled at her and grinned at Jack. "Do you mind helping me out at the pool for a short swim? I already put my bathing suit on, under my dress. I kind of planned to be out there for a little while, if you and Mark would help me."

Jack nodded, smiling at me and kissed the shoulder Dani wasn't curled into. "Of course, love. Anything ye want ta do this weekend, let me or Mark help ye with. We won't mind. Ye know we're here for ye."

I nodded and rested my head on the back of the couch. When suddenly I felt another little person trying to climb into my arms, I looked down, sitting up a little straighter. Tiana was trying to climb in my lap. I smiled at her and helped her over my baby bump to sit in Jack's lap, leaning into my side. She grinned, thanked me, and started talking to the babies, something all four girls had picked up from their daddies over the last few days. More often than not, I had one, two, or as many as six people talking to my baby bump, which was heartwarming and sweet. Honestly, I was glad the girls were as excited about the babies as they seemed to be and proud of how thoughtful and sweet they were all being. We had only seen one or two fights or meltdowns in the three weeks since PAX. They seemed genuinely happy right now, and I knew a large part of that was due to all the extra attention they were getting, both from us and from the rest of our friends and family, not that they didn't always get a lot of attention. Before long, everyone had arrived, at least for now, and the party got underway. Everyone was trying to make sure Mary and I, who had both decided to stay in the living room, not feeling very well, felt included but also giving us some space and time to relax if we just wanted quiet. Even the girls went off, playing princess party with Katie, Jacob, and several other kids who they were friends with, in the playroom. Dani was the only hold-out, instead opting to stay cuddled into my side, patting my baby bump frequently or just hugging me and watching everyone else around us. I kept an eye on her, but she looked like she was having fun, so I didn't push her to go play somewhere else. She stayed curled into me for quite a while, right up until Steve walked in the room, then she squealed out a loud "Puppy! Here Steve. Good pupper. Wet's go pway!" and ran off with him, Mark close at her heels with Chica and Stephanie. I smiled as I watched them go and blew a kiss at Mark, making him grin and mouth an 'I Love You" as he went past. Then it was just Mary and I in the room, so we started talking, or complaining really, about the pregnancy symptoms we were already experiencing and what we were dreading that was yet to come. When Jack came back in a little while later to check on us, we were giggling and chatting, lost in our own little bubble of baby stuff. He grinned and came over to me, sitting down and kissing me, then kissing my baby bump sweetly. 

Mary grinned at Jack. "You're so sweet with her, Jack. I'm glad to see you and Mark are so excited about having more babies. Honestly, I don't know how the three of you are mentally handling all this so well. Not that Ken isn't excited about the baby, but both of us are having moments of stress and panic at the thought of caring for a helpless little infant. I can't imagine eight of them at once!"

Jack grinned, looking up from my belly. "It helps that tha lass here already gave us four beautiful little ones tha last time. We kind of know what ta expect. I think were going ta be zombies for a few months after though. I mean, we almost were before. We can barely remember anything from tha girls first couple of months home, just because we were so tired all tha time. And we had loads of help."

I added my two cents. "Yeah. And Mary, we were a mix of scared, excited, panicky, and awed for most of my last pregnancy too. This time, some of the edge of the fear and panic are gone, just because we do have some experience with this. I'm kind of afraid we're going to be overwhelmed though." I looked down at my growing belly. "Eight more tiny people."

Jack hugged me, somehow knowing that was what I needed right now. "Love, we can do it. And our families have all promised ta help. I think yer mother wants ta move out here. And Mark's moms love staying as well. Even Ma and Pa love coming over. And if things go sideways with my VISA, my family will be close by and can help over there until we get things straightened out again. Ye've got things well in hand, no matter what. I believe in us, especially ye. Now, give me a kiss, sweet lass, and let me get ye something ta drink. I know ye haven't been keeping up with yer fluids today and ye know ye can et dehydrated easy right now, because of the babies." He smiled and kissed me, a slow, tender kiss, full of love and emotion. I leaned my head on his shoulder after that until he spoke up again. "What can I get ye ta drink, love?"

I sighed. "Um, how about some iced tea. And I really have been drinking enough today, Jack. The girls and Mom keep bringing me things. But I know you won't be happy if you don't see me drink something."

He smiled at me. "Ye know me well. Ye're damn right I won't. I'll be right back, love. Mary, can I get ye something ta drink? We have iced teas, juice, fizzy drinks, and water, as well as tha bar stuff."

I grinned. "Yeah, yeah. You're the only one in our house who uses that most of the time Jack. Except when your family visits, or we have friends over, nkot that you use it much anyway. And Mary, when he says fizzy drinks, he means sodas and carbonated waters. We always keep both on hand."

Mary nodded, also grinning. Jack just stuck his tongue out at me, making Mary laugh. "Thanks for offering Jack. I'll take a juice please. Apple juice if you have it."

Now it was my turn to laugh. "Mary, we have four toddlers. Of course we have apple juice. Besides, when I was feeling my sickest, it was one of the few nutritionally sound things my stomach seemed okay with." I shook my head, shivering slightly. Jack wrapped his arms around me again, just for a minute and looked at me.

"[Y/N], was that from being cold, or are ye just thinking about how sick ye were?"

I looked down. "A bit of both." Jack nodded, kissed my forehead and dragged the blankets back over to me, helping me burrow down and get warm again. I looked over at Mary, who was smiling as she watched. "What? Are we amusing you somehow?"

Mary shook her head. "No. I just like how sweet you are together. It makes me smile. You are both that way with Mark too, and your daughters. It's good to see. It's all too easy to forget that people can be sweet, kind, caring, positive, or loving sometimes."

I raised an eyebrow. "Internet?" She nodded. I made a face. "Why can't people realize that we're all just real people and have feeling too? I mean, pregnancy makes me more feel vulnerable to the shit people say. And emotions in general run a bit higher for me. I'm sure you feel the same way."

Mary nodded again, fighting back tears for a minute. Jack stood up, grabbed a box of tissues for Mary and handed them to her, and walked into the kitchen, letting her pull herself back together for the moment. She grabbed a tissue and blotted the corners of her eyes and just breathed for a few seconds, getting back under control. Then she looked at me. "How do you do it? I haven't hear you totally lose it once, either time you've been pregnant. How do you keep the emotional storm from kicking your ass?"

I laughed softly. "Really? What about when we were at your apartment the other day?"

Mary chuckled a little. "Okay, that was justified though, from what you were saying. I mean, I would have kicked both of them to the curb for that shit a lot sooner than you did. And you didn't yell at them. You were calm. Then you got scary, getting all cold and quiet."

I nodded. "I don't tend to rage loudly. I freeze people out. And I do have pretty good control of my emotions, most of the time, but pregnancy makes things a bit dicey sometimes. Especially later, when I start to feel so fat that no clothes can contain me." I looked down, slightly ruefully at my belly, still relatively small, but definitely growing fast, clearly visible even wearing loose clothes. "I don't know if Jack and Mark have talked to you and Ken about my past at all, but some things happened that make me a little more susceptible to certain comments, feelings, and emotions. I don't talk about it, most of the time, because it's too hard, but both of them know about it now and I have told them they can tell other people, at least our families and friends." I swallowed hard. "I had kind of a rough start in life. I've overcome a lot. But I have had to toughen up and clamp down on my emotions a lot to survive, so when I get overwhelmed, I really break down." I smiled wryly. "I scared the crap out of both of them one day, last time I was pregnant, right after we announced our relationship on the Internet and I was confined to the wheelchair because of my heart issues, because they took me for a walk in the woods in Ireland and I just started sobbing my heart out for no apparent reason." I shook my head. "I was feeling more useless than normal because of the whole being forced to slow down and not walk anywhere or be alone thing, and my brain just went to the dark places of my childhood. I hadn't told Jack or Mark about those things yet and I couldn't stop crying, so they had a fun hour or so trying to figure out what to do. A few days later I told them everything, and they have been amazing about helping me when I start to mentally spiral."

Jack came in, unnoticed, before I had finished explaining, so his comment took me by surprise. "Love, ye know how we feel about that. Ye have dealt with so much in yer life. It's amazing. Ye amaze us everyday. And if we can help keep ye steady, that's all tha better. Ye certainly keep us steady and on track." He handed the drinks to Mary and I as he settled back down next to me and pulled me into his lap, stroking my hair a little. "What's got ye thinking about tha past, love?"

I smiled up into Jack's face, momentarily getting lost in his beautiful blue eyes. He smiled and kissed my nose after a few seconds. I blinked and came back to myself more, mentally shaking off the slightly dazed feeling I always had when I looked into Jack's or Mark's eyes. I sighed a little as well. "Mary was just asking how I kept my cool so well while pregnant. I was explaining about that day, when you guys took me for a walk in the woods near your parents house."

Jack nodded. "I think that was about tha only time ye really lost control of yer emotions that I've seen. Ye keep a really tight hold most of tha time." He looked at Mary, who was looking thoughtful. "She really did scare tha crap outta us with that outburst. I've never seen anyone cry like that before. She just was sobbing like someone had broken her heart beyond repair and she meant ta cry for days. It was a lot scarier than seeing someone cry loudly. And she just kept crying for over an hour, completely inconsolable. We were so lost as ta what ta do, Mark and I, and even Ma and Pa couldn't help. When she finally calmed down, she still couldn't talk about it for a while. And it set her heart monitor off several times." He looked back down at me, stroking my hair still. "I'm glad ye trusted us enough ta share why ye broke down lass. Remember, ye don't have ta carry tha burden of everyone else and yerself all alone. Mark and I are here for ye."

I chuckled softly and closed my eyes, snuggling in closer to his warm presence. "I know Sean. And it helps, knowing I can share with the two of you. Even if I do have to occasionally get angry and tell you off." Jack shivered slightly at the reminder. I opened an eye and looked at him, softening my expression when I saw regret and worry on his face. "Hey, I'm over it now. And you are both helping me a lot. And you're listening to me again. That's really all I wanted before. I need you both. This is way too much to handle by myself." I drew a hand out from under the pile of blankets and gently stroked and cupped Jack's cheek. "I really do appreciate everything you have both been doing. I know I have to go a lot slower than normal right now. It means the world to me that you are both so willing to help." Jack smiled and leaned into my hand for a few seconds, looking down at me again. "I love you sweetie."

His smile widened a little. "I love ye too, lass. And thank ye for staying so strong for us. Always, not just now. Ye are tha rock that keeps Mark and I from just drifting away most of tha time. And ye prop us up when we need it."

I closed my eyes again, feeling calm and peaceful, even with the noise around us from the party, and I know Jack felt it too. We were almost lost in our own little bubble of love, peace, and tranquility when we heard Mary blow her nose. I didn't look over at her, knowing she was fighting back emotions again. "How do you two do that? I mean, you both just radiate peace and love. And it's steady, not sickly sweet, or uncomfortable for other people to be around. Honestly, it makes me want to just curl up and nap." I opened my eyes to look at her and saw her grin. "Not that I don't feel the urge to nap most of the time lately any way." She yawned hugely. "I've never felt so tired in my life."

I nodded. "Yeah. But after you get to the second trimester, a lot of that will go away. The constant feeling of exhaustion and nausea really do lessen a lot, at least for several months. When I was almost at the end of the pregnancy they came back, mostly because I couldn't sleep because of how much room the girls were taking and their kicking my lungs, stomach, back, and bladder, but you will have at least a few months in there of relief. That's when you'll start to notice the baby bump really take off and grow, at least usually, from what the doctors and other moms have told me." I gave a half smile, ruefully. "I noticed a bit before that. But that's when I really started popping out faster."

Jack leaned down and kissed me again. "Ye looked gorgeous love. Ye always look amazing, but being pregnant suited ye. Even when ye were cranky."

I laughed. "Thanks sweetheart. I know I was kind of cranky for most of January. I'll probably be cranky for a long time this pregnancy too, when I'm further along. It's harder to keep my temper in check when I can't breathe, move, or do much of anything and everything is achy and sore. But they babies are worth it." I silently rubbed my belly under the blankets and felt Jack reach a hand under as well. I smiled when he caught my hand, rubbing along with me, then just holding both our hands over the bump, protectively.

Mary smiled, her face going soft and slightly dreamy and I was somehow sure she was imagining what her child would look like. I knew I had worn the same expression thinking about the babies before they were born, both with the girls, and now, when I thought of these little beans. This was how Ken found us. He chuckled. "So this is where all the pregnant ladies are hiding. I don't blame you. It's quiet and comfy in here. Hey Jack. How you doing?"

Jack grinned. "Great. Tha ladies have just been talking about their pregnancies and we're all thinking about babies. Ye want ta join us? Ye might learn something useful."

Ken nodded and looked around, then walked over and picked Mary up, settled in the chair she had been in, and sat her in his lap, pulling her in close. "How are you doing there Mary? Are you feeling okay today babe?"

She yawned, then grinned at him, leaning back into his chest and wrapping her arms around him. "I'm tired, that's all. But luckily, my pregnancy buddy tells me that's normal for a little while longer, then it should get better. Ken, I'm so excited about seeing our baby! This is incredible, even if it does make me moody, tired, and sick."

Ken hugged her close. "I'm super excited too. I can't believe I'm going to be a daddy!"

Jack grinned. "That's pretty much how Mark and I felt before the girls came along, when we found out about [y/n]'s pregnancy way back at tha beginning. We were so excited and happy. Probably more than she was at first. I think she was scared, but neither of us ever knew exactly why." He looked at me again, raising an eyebrow. "Ye never did tell us what scared ye so bad at tha beginning there lass."

I giggled. "I was afraid you and Mark were going to think I did it on purpose somehow, and I was trying to trap you. Basically, just panic at the unknown. I got over it pretty fast though, especially when I saw how excited you both were. Actually, most of it was just feeling overwhelmed by everything. We had only just told people about the relationship and were still new to the relationship. Add in the fact that none of us had ever talked about the future or having kids together yet, and I was just in full panic mode."

Jack shook his head at me now. "Love, Mark and I were surprised, but very happy when we found out. Ye were tha one who seemed less enthusiastic. I guess that explains it better. Mark and I kind of thought ye might not have wanted kids, at tha very beginning, and just grew ta love tha babies after ye accepted they were real."

I gently shook my head, mindful of my dizziness. "No. I've wanted kids since I was a little girl. And I've always loved babies." I closed my eyes again, smiling with my hand and Jack entwined on my baby bump still. "I just never expected such a large bunch at once. And you and Mark are more than I ever dreamed of having in my life too. I love you both so, so much." I sighed. "I can't imagine my life any other way now." I half opened my eyes to see Jack beaming down at me, looking so happy it almost hurt. I let the contentment I was feeling seep into my whole being, closing my eyes again, and was asleep before I realized it, feeling Jack's love pouring into me and the babies, wordlessly comforting and protecting all of us.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, once again, I have to break this into two chapters because it's getting too long. We are finally getting a few happy, drama free chapters. :) (I wonder how long that's going to last...)


	20. Party Time! Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The party continues...

When I woke up from my unexpected nap, it was to see Sammi and Dani asleep on me again and Jack asleep beside me. Ken and Mary were curled up together in the armchair across from us, and it looked like Mary was also asleep. I grinned at Ken, being careful not to wake the sleeping bodies surrounding me and raised an eyebrow. He chuckled quietly and nodded to me that yes, Mary was indeed asleep. I nodded back and shifted positions just enough to get warmer and slightly more comfortable. I was perfectly content to just stay here, buried in love, warmth, and sleeping family members for the moment, soaking in the peaceful attitude of the room. Stephanie came over a little while later and saw my eyes were open, and insisted I help her onto the couch to snuggle me, so I helped her up, trying not to wake anyone else, which we managed, just barely. She snuggled into my chest, curling up and whispered to me for a little while, telling me about what she had been doing all day. Before very long though, she too was yawning and fell asleep, uncurling her body slightly as she drifted further and further into sleep. I smiled as I watched, amused at her fighting sleep even after it overwhelmed her. I placed a gentle kiss on her forehead as she napped, noting it brought a smile to her face. Sammi and Dani were still asleep, cuddled against my back and bottom. My head was still in Jack's lap as he napped too. I watched the party in the other rooms, particularly the dining room, and the flow of people around the living room. Before long, Mark came in, carrying Tiana, clearly looking for the rest of our daughters, and probably Jack. He grinned at me, setting Ti down gently and leaning over to kiss me. "So how'd you manage this, babe? It looks sweet, but why are you the only one awake here?"

I giggled at his whispered comment, helping Ti climb up to snuggle my baby bump, a clear spot from all the sleeping bodies. Mark was still leaned over, so I whispered my answer back. "I fell asleep first. When I woke up, I was draped in two of our daughters, sound asleep, and Jack was asleep as well. Steph came looking for me to tell me about her day and fell asleep pretty fast. I've just been watching everyone, enjoying the warmth and peace. Do you want to join us, sweetheart? My feet and legs are unclaimed. Or you could sit in the beanbag chair that Jack had earlier and just lean into us. I mean, you don't have to, but I thought you might want to." I smiled at him. "It's up to you. You could talk quietly to Ken and me, or just sit and think, or whatever. Or you could just go back to the rest of the party and our guests."

Mark made a face at the last suggestion, then kissed me gently. "Nope. I want to sit with my sleepy family and relax for a while." He grinned at me. "How is it we all are trying to take care of you and you end up taking better care of us?"

I chuckled quietly. "I'm magic. Now, do you want to sit and talk to me by my head, or sit down by my feet and unwind?"

He immediately grabbed the beanbag and pulled it in front of where Steph and Tiana were cuddling me, leaning his head back against us and turning to face me. Ken chuckled quietly from his seat, having watched the whole interaction. I grinned at him. He gave me a thumbs up. Ti started talking to the babies, but fell asleep almost mid-sentence before more than ten minutes had passed. Mark, who had been listening, raised an eyebrow at me. I grinned. "Now, how the hell did you do that? She's been running around on a sugar buzz for the last twenty minutes or half an hour before we came in here."

I smiled again. "I think the babies are having a soporific effect on everyone else today. That or they are sucking in so much energy they have started stealing it from the people around me who happen to get close enough." Mark's eyes widened a little until he realized I was joking. "Relax Mark. I think everyone is just tired. You and Jack have been running around like crazy, getting ready for the party, wearing ourselves out. The girls have been as hyper as always and the nap this morning wasn't that long for any of us. Maybe an hour, tops. I think it's just the warm and peaceful atmosphere in here that's making everyone sleepy. It even got Mary to take a nap." I looked over at Ken and raised my voice from a whisper to a quiet tone I thought he might hear. "How are you doing over there Ken? Need anything?"

Ken grinned and shook his head, pulling Mary in a little tighter and tucking the blanket in around them both, his hand stroking down her back in her sleep. She shifted slightly, snuggling into him a bit more in her sleep, and his smile widened. I looked back at Mark's face just in time to see him yawn hugely and try to cover it up. I pretended not to notice and mentally gave him five minutes before he too nodded off. He leaned his head onto me and reached a hand up, resting it on my baby bump, between Steph and Ti, taking care not to disturb them. He closed his eyes and smiled, rubbing gently with the hand, making tiny circles. He fell asleep before a minute had passed, making me shake my head slightly. I sighed. I was glad everyone was taking the time to relax and rest today, but now I was kind of trapped under everyone else. Ken laughed quietly at my sigh and quietly voiced an opinion. "It's your own fault. You made everyone too comfortable. Now they're all asleep on you." I looked over at him. Then I pointedly looked at Mary, in his own lap, and raised an eyebrow, making him blush. "Okay, I'll admit you relaxed Mary enough to let her get some sleep too. Thanks. She's been feeling really run down lately, and stressing about the pregnancy. She's been having trouble sleeping as it is." I just smiled. Ken and I went back to quietly sitting there, and were soon both lost in thought. I was thinking about social media responses from my recent videos, and wondering if I should be trying to focus on that part of my life a little more when Ma, Dee, Mom, and Pa walked in. They all grinned hugely at the sprawled bodies on me and laughed quietly. 

I raised an eyebrow at them. "You think it's funny? I'm buried under bodies and you're laughing at me?"

Mom came over closer and nodded. "You got everyone so relaxed they fell asleep. Of course, it's funny baby. And the girls have been fighting naps all week, yet somehow, you managed to get all four of them to take naps twice in the same day. You didn't drug the or something, right?"

Now I laughed a little, accidentally waking Jack up. He blinked sleepily at me, then smiled seeing everyone else asleep, piled on top of me. I looked up into his face. "Sorry to wake you, Sean. You can go back to sleep if you want. Mom just amused me by asking if I drugged everyone to take naps." I looked at her. "I'll tell you the same thing I told Mark when he asked a little while ago, before he fell asleep. The babies are either having a fantastic soporific effect or they are actively sucking everyone else's energy away too. That's the only thing I can think of." Jack smiled at me and leaned forward kissing me gently.

"Love, did it not occur ta ye that maybe it's tha calm, peace, and happiness ye're projecting that let everyone just fall asleep? I mean, ye fell asleep first, and ye were smiling in yer sleep. Ye just looked so sweet and happy, tha girls couldn't help climbing up ta snuggle with ye and ended up napping. Or at least Sam and Dani did. I didn't see Ti, Steph, or Mark come in. I was already asleep."

Ken spoke up, still staying quiet enough not to disturb Mary or anyone sleeping on me. "Yeah Jack, that's pretty much what happened with everyone. Your daughters all drifted in, one at a time and were asleep in less than ten minutes after they snuggled into her. And Mark was out like a light almost as soon as he sat down to talk to her. She even managed to look so calm and sweet it relaxed Mary and she fell asleep too. Actually, I even managed to take a short nap for a little while before anyone woke back up who was in here." 

I blinked. "Okay. I guess that makes more sense than anything else." I looked up at Jack. "Are you feeling more rested sweetie? You and Mark have been running a lot lately, between taking care of me and the girls, and getting ready for the party, which I've been being a real dud at so far." I sighed again. "I wish I had more energy to do stuff, but I know as soon as I start, I'm either going to make myself sick again or get too dizzy and faint. So as much as I hate not doing anything, it's smarter for me to just rest, even if it does seem like I'm being a bad hostess."

Mom came over and brush some hair out of my face, then rested a hand on my shoulder. "Baby, you're taking care of everyone, including the eight people who are totally dependent on your body right now, besides yourself. Cut yourself a little slack. No one at your party feels like you're being a bad hostess, except maybe you. Everyone else is just amazed at how much got done and how great everything is. Dan peeked in a little while ago and saw everyone asleep, and came out to tell all of us out by the pool. He claimed it was the most adorable thing he had seen in a very long time. We were all glad you were resting and not feeling sick again, so we just let you nap. Everyone is going to move the festivities in here this evening for some games and activities that you can enjoy without having to use a ton of energy or move around a lot." Mom squeezed my shoulder gently as she stepped away. "Everyone is glad to know you're being so sensible and taking it easy, so we are making sure you don't feel left out of the fun as much as we can too. Now, do you want to try to go back to sleep? Do you want me to try to take one of the girls off you? What do you want to do right now, dear?"

I smiled and stroked Tiana's back. "The girls can stay here for now. Honestly, if you could just hand me my phone, I can amuse myself with that. I can either check social media, play a game, or read an ebook that way. I'm not sleepy anymore. And I'm finally warm enough. I had forgotten how much I felt cold the last time I was pregnant, but it seems to have started again today for this pregnancy." 

Jack grinned and stroked my hair. "At least ye have plenty of snuggle buddies ta help keep ye warm. Mark and I never mind helping ye with that, as ye must know, and neither do tha girls, although they tend ta get a bit antsy if we ask them ta sit still for too long."

I smiled up at Jack again. "They are being really good about that lately. Have you noticed? And they are so interested in everything having to do with the babies. It's amazing. I'm just glad they haven't asked too many awkward questions about how babies are made. I hate lying to them, but I really don't think they need certain information just yet." I smirked a little, looking at Jack. "And I know you and Mark can't handle that discussion. You panicked so bad the last several times it has come up, with your various nieces and nephews. It's been funny every time, at least to me, because you and Mark are always the ones who accidentally stumble into bringing it up, but you panic so bad before you can think of a proper answer."

Jack blushed very brightly, then smiled at me. "At least ye always have an answer for them. And ye don't lie ta them, ye just gloss over details. Or occasionally tell them ta ask their parents. Jaysus, when I think of how ye handled Pearl that first Christmas, and how badly we blundered inta that, it sends shivers down my spine. Ye did an amazing job, just like always, love."

I snorted, making Sammi lift her head sleepily and look at me. "Are ye okay, Momma?"

I smiled over at her and moved my arm to gently rub her back and shoulders. "Yeah baby, you can go back to sleep. Daddy just made me laugh at something." Sammi nodded and lowered her head again, patting me gently on the side where she was laying and fell back asleep almost instantly. I waited a few moments before turning my attention back to Jack, raising an eyebrow. "Sean, I love you. But you and Mark don't always think before you speak, so I've gotten used to running damage control for you both. All I can say is, that was early training. Besides, I'm usually pretty quick on my feet." I looked at my belly, around all the bodies laying on me, and sighed, then looked back up into Jack's face. "Mentally and verbally anyway. And it's a good thing too. The girls are sharp, not that I really thought they would be dumb. None of us are, despite having moments of idiocy."

Jack grinned at me, amused. "Yeah. I can't believe how smart they are. Just like their Momma. And they ask so many questions. Ye have tha patience of a bloody saint, I think, ta answer them all so calmly and not get frustrated."

Ken grinned over at us. "Jack, we all knew that already, before the girls were even born. I mean she put up with the two of you guys."

Jack blushed and I laughed, louder than I meant to, waking Mark and the girls. All of them looked at me with a smile, looking sleep drunk. The girls settled back into sleep easily, seeing me happy, smiles on all four of their faces as they slept on. Mark rubbed his eyes, waking up fully now. I smiled at him when he yawned, stretched, then immediately reached over and rubbed my baby bump. "Sorry to wake you, sweetheart. Ken just amused me. Are you feeling any more rested?"

Mark grinned back at me. "Well, that's good. But why do I have the sneaking suspicion Jack and I were the but of the joke? And actually, I never meant to fall asleep in the first place. It was just so restful and calm sitting here like this with you all, I couldn't help it." Mark looked around a little more, coming more fully awake. He spotted our parents watching from the doorway, except his mother, who wasn't with the rest of the grandparents group, and my mother who was behind the couch, watching us, an amused expression on her own face. "So what did Ken say? I woke up to see Jack blushing and you laughing, so I'm pretty sure it was about the two of us. Unless it was just about you, Jack?"

Jack looked over at Mark, his face still a little pink and shook his head. "Our lovely lass here was just expressing how smart tha girls are, and I answered saying they were like her. Then I mentioned how patient she was with all their endless questions and..." Jack's blush got a little brighter again.

I giggled. "And Ken said all our friends already knew because I put up with you and Jack. It amused me, maybe more than it should have, which is why I laughed so loud and woke everybody up." My eyes sparkled with suppressed laughter again. "Sorry, Mark."

He looked at me for a minute. "No, you're not. I can see it in your face. That's okay, though. It is pretty true. Jack and I can be a bit..." He trailed off waving a hand in the air, trying to come up with the word he wanted. "...challenging at times."

I tried not to giggle. "You don't have to tell me that. I know." Mom snorted behind me, drawing my attention up to her. She was holding a hand over her mouth as she tried not to let the amused laughter escape. Her shoulders were even shaking with the effort of suppressing her laughter. I grinned at her, then looked back at Jack and Mark. "I can be a handful too. I'm just a tiny bit stubborn at times." Suddenly everyone else, well, everyone who was awake, burst out laughing, being quiet, so they didn't wake the girls or Mary, but laughing none the less at my small joke. 

Jack collected himself first and leaned down to kiss me softly. "Love, that was tha world's biggest understatement. Ye're a tiny bit stubborn tha same way the sun is a tiny bit hot." 

Dani, who had woken up while everyone was laughing, unnoticed, lifted her head up. "Is tha sun hot, Daddy?"

I grinned at her and nodded, answering for Jack. "Yeah, baby. I have a song you might like about it." I opened my music program on my phone and played _Why Does the Sun Shine?_ by They Might Be Giants, handing her the headphones I had plugged in from the table behind the couch. She grinned and bobbed her head to the music, her eyes getting wide as she listened. When the song was over she took the headphones off and I grinned at her. "So, millions of degrees hot, okay? I think Daddy was implying I'm a little more stubborn than I suggested."

Dani smiled and nodded, then shifted in place, stretching a little and squirming in place. Mom noticed and leaned closer. "Dani, do you have to go potty?" She nodded, looking reluctant to leave me. Mom smiled. "Let me take you, okay? Momma will still be here when you're done. You can come back and snuggle her and help keep her and the babies warm after you finish, okay?" 

Dani smiled and nodded. "Thank ye, Grandma. Momma, I'm gonna be right back. *Mwah*" I smiled as Mom lifted her off me and carried her down the hall to the bathroom. I felt Sammi sit up and pat me again, letting me know she was awake again. I smiled at her.

She grinned back. "Good Momma. Ye need ta stay here. We can watch ye better and take care of ye. Right, Papa? Right, Daddy?" 

Mark and Jack leaned forward and kissed her, smiling at her. "Right Sammigirl. Ye stay here and help keep yer Momma warm. Yer baby siblings are making her cold."

Sam looked at Jack confused for a few seconds. Then she turned to Mark. "Papa? What's a sibing?"

Mark smiled as Jack chuckled ruefully. "A sibling, Samantha, sweetie, is a brother or sister. Like Tiana, Danielle, or Stephanie are your siblings already. The new babies are going to be your siblings as well."

Sam tilted her head, thinking, for a few seconds. "So sibings are girws?"

I smiled at her and ran a hand down her hair. "Nope. A sibling can be either a boy or a girl. And since it's going to be at least another month and a half before we can know what these babies are going to be, it's a good word to use to describe them. Baby is also, because a baby can be either a boy or a girl too." 

Sammi looked at me with a smile now. "Okay. Why does tha babies make ye cowd Momma?"

"They can't help it, sweetie. You girls did the same thing to me. My body is changing a lot to make room for the babies and make sure they get all the things they need to grow big, strong, and healthy. To do that, some of the changes make Momma grumpy or cold or sleepy more or sick. Eventually I'll feel more back to normal, but for right now, Momma needs more snuggles and blankets. Can you help keep me warm, please? I was enjoying having four little warm bodies acting as heaters for the babies and me."

Sammi immediately cuddled back down against me, hugging me. "Of course Momma." She smiled and started playing with my hair as she snuggled my back. Jack reached over and rubbed her shoulder. She looked back up at him. "Daddy?"

Jack smiled. "Yes, Sammi?"

"Why's ye rubbing my back?"

Jack just shook his head. "I was thanking ye for helping yer Momma. And for being such a good girl. And telling ye how much I love ye."

Sammi smiled. "Thank ye, Daddy. I didn't know a back rub couwd mean aw those things."

I grinned at her. "A look or a touch can mean a lot of different things, baby. Daddy and Papa tell me lots of things without ever saying anything out loud, and I can do the same thing with them. And I tell you things that way sometimes too. Remember when I look at you and you know you're in trouble, or you do something that makes me happy or proud?" Sam nodded enthusiastically. "It's like that, but little different." Sam nodded again and just rested her head against me, watching the room now. Everyone just relaxed for a moment until Dani and Mom came back. Then Dani climbed back up on the couch to snuggle me again, accidentally waking Ti and Steph. Since all four girls were awake now, I suggested Mark go get a book, and we could read some stories together while we cuddled. The girls all gleefully clapped. Jack and I shushed them a little, trying to let Mary sleep. Fortunately, she didn't wake up, at least not until later, after the girls had all run off to play in the playroom after a long snuggle with me and three stories. When they left, Mark helped me sit up, then claimed a seat next to me, scooting in as close as he could, pulling me almost into his lap. Jack scooted over on my other side, as close as he could and they both leaned into me, making sure I was warm enough and felt the love and comfort they were offering. I smiled at both of them and we all relaxed together, me wrapped in the blankets and my two sexy men, and them just cuddled close, both of them with an arm under the blankets, resting on the babies. The grandparents had mostly followed the girls into the nursery or wandered off to enjoy the party, but Pa had decided to settle in the recliner close by. He looked like he was taking a nap, his eyes closed as he relaxed, but I saw him periodically look over at us. He winked when he saw me notice and I smiled. 

When Mary did eventually wake back up, the first thing she did was stretch, yawn, and apologize for falling asleep like that. "Oh my gosh. I'm so sorry. I swear, this has nothing to do with the wonderful, thoughtful party that you guys are throwing. I didn't mean to fall asleep like that. I've just been so tired lately..."

I smiled and waved a hand. "Hey, I fell asleep first. Being a pregnant lady gives you an excuse. It really zaps your energy. You know how much I can usually get done. Right now, it's practically all I can do to stay awake most of the time. So don't worry. I'm just glad you got some rest. You looked like you needed it."

Mary blushed a little and nodded. "Yeah, I did. Probably more than I wanted to admit." She turned to Ken and hugged him. "And thanks for sitting with me this whole time babe. Sorry to make you get stuck here."

Ken chuckled. "It was nice, babe. I got to watch our friends interact with their daughters, after they all napped on [y/n]." Mary looked surprised. Ken grinned at her. "Mark and Jack too. And I took a short nap as well. I've been worried about you and seeing you that relaxed helped me relax. Well, that and the peaceful atmosphere in here. Anyway, after [y/n] woke up, she and I talked a little. Then Jack woke up and joined in. Then Mark woke up. When the princess brigade woke up, [y/n] suggested snuggles and reading, so I got to listen to them tell three stories to their daughters."

I smiled. "Yeah, then the girls were tired of sitting still and needed to go run off and play. They all headed into the playroom. Mark and Jack decided to snuggle me after that. They're so sweet. And they know I'm cold today, so I very much appreciate them doing this. We've just all been sitting here quietly, thinking and enjoying the quiet. But I'm up for some games or something if everyone else wants to play."

Mary pretended to pout. "What if I want a story?"

I laughed. "You'll have to get Ken to tell you one. Or have him practice telling stories to the baby. But that works better after you can feel the baby moving and your baby bump is actually visible." I sighed. "Otherwise, it just looks like weird people are talking to your stomach." I ruefully patted my baby bump again, over the blankets this time. "Ever since the girls were able to see Momma's tummy getting all hard and round, they have been talking to my belly, just like their daddies do. It's sweet, but having six people talking to ANY part of your body at the same time can be..." I searched for the right word. "...exasperating at times. And heaven help you if you have to make them get off you because you have the audacity to need to pee or something." I rolled my eyes dramatically and threw a hand over my forehead, falling back into the back of the couch slightly. "It's traumatic, to say the least. And if your stomach rumbles? Jump scares for days. Same with if a baby accidentally kicks someone, other than Mommy of course." I looked at Jack and Mark, snickering to myself. "Remember the Livestream in Cincinnati? Everyone was asking what made Mark jump like he's been goosed when one of the girls kicked him when he wasn't expecting it."

Mark and Jack were blushing now. Pa's crack of laughter caught my attention and I grinned at him. "Good ta see ye feeling more yerself, lass." He winked at me. "I think tha boys were worried when ye were too sick ta tease them, not that they'd ever admit that, mind ye."

I laughed again, and Mary and Ken joined in after a beat. Jack and Mark just hugged into me, burying their blushes in my sides. After a minute I got back under control and grinned at Jack, drawing him out to kiss him. "I love you, sweetie. Mark too, even if you do make me crazy from time to time. And Pa's just teasing as well." Jack relaxed a little, his blush calming down as he looked into my face. I smiled more gently at him. "Thanks for everything lately, Sean. I couldn't do this without you both. Now, do you want to go pick a game for us to play, before either my hormones go off the rails again, or before I decide to tease you both some more and make you both really squirm?" The humor came back into my expression. "I don't mind that, if you would rather just stay here and snuggle. I have plenty of stories I could share..."

Mary and Ken started laughing again as Jack swore and jumped up. "Love, don't ye dare. I'll be right back. I'm glad yer feeling better, even if ye are being a little shite today." I raised an eyebrow and grinned. Jack grinned back as he left the room, and called back an answer to my challenging look. "Alright, a big shite. Ye aren't that little." I snorted, making everyone still in the room crack up completely as I blushed and covered my nose. When Jack came back in, he had Cards Against Humanities, several decks of playing cards, a few trivia games, and a handful of other assorted board games. He looked around, grinning. "Ye snorted, didn't ye?" I nodded, still blushing. He just shook his head and sat back down next to me, settling in close to me and setting the board games on the coffee table in front of us. I started making suggestions of what we could play, starting with BlackJack and Poker. We settled on Blackjack so people could come and go after they saw what we were playing, and I even agreed to be the dealer, shuffling together five regular decks of playing cards to stack together. We opted not to play for money, so it was just a friendly, and before long, noisy, fun game. Dan, Arin, Suzy, and Ryan soon joined us. After about an hour of that, we decided to switch it up, and I decided to go get some food, make a bathroom break, and check in on the playroom. Everything was going well in there, all the kids playing together very well. Ti and Steph were playing with their friend, and our neighbor, Tracy, and Katie, having a dress-up tea party. I noticed they had dragged out a bunch of the costumes and play jewelry, making themselves up fancy for the game. Dani and Henry, my nephew, and another neighbor friend, Charlie, were listening to Mom read a story and coloring at the play table for toddlers. Sammi and Jacob were playing with duplos (the larger block version of legos, for younger children, that are less of a choking hazard), building tall towers and elaborate designs. I smiled as I watched everyone from the doorway for a minute, then I turned and headed for the food, grabbing a small plate and another drink for myself, then slipping outside to mingle for a short time. I ended up sitting in lawn chair, talking to Eddie and Ray, next to the pool. I had only been there for a few minutes when I spotted Jack, clearly looking for me. He headed over with a determined look. I internally sighed as I watched him approach, letting the conversation die as Eddie and Ray saw the look he had on his face. "Love, why'd ye run off? Did ye need something? What happened?"

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, Jack. I needed to use the bathroom, get some food, and I wanted to check on the kids and the rest of the party. I told you earlier, I want to spend a little time outside today. I didn't need you and Mark for this. I'm taking it very easy. Calm down. You look like a thundercloud." 

Jack just frowned and squatted down next to me. "Love, we were worried."

I sighed. "Sweetie, I doubt very seriously that anything could happen to me this weekend. I wouldn't be alone anywhere in the house unless I went upstairs, and even then, we have the intercoms installed since the girls got moved up there. I'm not doing anything dangerous to me or the babies, I swear. You can both relax." I smiled at him, encouraging. "Please, Sean? For me? Try to relax. Maybe pull up a chair out here and sit with me, if you must. I just feel like I've been trapped in the house for too long lately and need a little time to soak up some vitamin D. Plus, you promised Dani and me that you'd go swimming with us, or at least help us this afternoon. What happened to that?"

Jack looked at me for a long minute, nodded, and grabbed my hand. "Alright lass. Ye're right. Now, can ye please stay here long enough for me ta get my swim trunks and me ta change Dani inta her suit? I'll check and see if any of tha others want ta swim too. Ye just stay here and drink yer drink. Eddie, can ye watch her, please?"

Eddie took one look at my face and looked at Jack. "Um, I'm going to have to say no to that Jack. I'll stay close enough she can ask me for help if she needs something, but I'm not going to sit and babysit her. I think she might mutiny." I crossed my arms and gave Jack a sour look, confirming Eddie's words. Jack grinned, somewhat apologetically and nodded, heading in the house to get ready to swim and bring the girls back out. Eddie looked at me with a small smile. "Sis, cut him a little slack. He's just worried. We all are."

I sighed again. "I'm trying. Really. But both Jack and Mark are not listening to me about this. I know they are trying to, at least after the other day, but when they forget, kind of like they have been today, I'm going to get angry faster. You of all people, know how I feel about being ignored."

Eddie chuckled a little. "Yeah, I know. That was one of the only ways I could effectively get revenge for some of the crap you pulled on me as a kid." He sighed. "Alright. I get where both of you are coming from. I just don't want to see any of you unhappy."

I looked at him. "I know. I don't like seeing them unhappy either, but I can't stand all the mollycoddling. I know my limits and am asking for help. Today, Jack and Mark have been hovering so much it's starting to get to me. I mean, when I was just sitting or laying on the couch, not moving, they just kept stopping by, every fifteen or less minutes to make sure I hadn't moved. I know they are worried about me and want to help, but it's ridiculous." I could feel tears starting to threaten and took a few deep calming breaths. A few slipped out before I could pull myself together, but I mostly kept it under control. "After the party actually started, they were a little better when they saw someone else was with me, but they still kept hovering."

Eddie reached over and hugged me. "[Y/N]. I know this is hard for you. Do you need me to talk to them?"

I sniffled a little. "Maybe. I'll let you know by the end of the party. Maybe I can get them to back off a little. It's not like I want the to go far or anything. I just want them to relax and let me live my life a little. Their support means a lot, but smothering me is counterproductive, to say the least. Thanks for offering. And thanks for being here for me and listening." I smiled a half smile at him, tears once again threatening to overflow from my eyes. "Damn hormones. The fact that you let me dump Mark on you the other night without a word, and the fact that you're being so great to me right now is amazing." I looked down as s few more tears leaked out. I sniffed again, trying to hold back the waterworks. 

Eddie just reached over and squeezed my hand gently. "Hey, I gotta look out for my sister. Especially when you're being completely reasonable. You know, I heard some gossip that all the parents had banded together and were going to stage an intervention about how bad it had gotten. I'm just glad you spoke up first. So was my source."

I chuckled a weak, watery sounding laugh. "Yeah, they were all waiting when we got home. I thought Dee and Momiplier might be upset with me, but they were so supportive and great." A few more tears leaked out, but I was calming down now. "Sorry about the tears. My hormones are really kicking up today." I looked at my hands again. "I know I should probably just let this go with Jack and Mark, but it's really starting to bug me. I'm honestly a little afraid if I don't say something before it really gets to me, I might hurt one of them, without meaning to, in a fit of hormone-enhanced anger."

Eddie chuckled. "Hey, it's bad enough that the rest of the family noticed, sis. You have the right to ask for a little time alone. Maybe you should send them off on a wild goose chase. You could claim you have a craving for something really obscure and watch them fall all over themselves trying to get it for you. That might lift your spirits."

I laughed, actually amused by the mental image I got from that. "Hmm. I'll keep that in mind for later. I might need that at some point." I looked up, smiling, and noticed Ray hovering close by. I waved him over. "Ray, come on over. Brother and sister time is over for now. Besides, you could have stayed here, instead of wandering off. I just needed to vent after Jack decided to ask Eddie to watch me, like I was one of our toddler daughters." 

Ray laughed. "Oh sweetie, I know. I heard. I just wanted to give you two a little space. I didn't go far. And I heard everything. Personally, I think you have the patience of a damned saint." He leaned over and kissed my cheek, making me grin.

"Thanks, Ray." I spotted Mark, Jack, the girls, and Henry, Jacob, Katie, and Darrell, all in swimwear, headed our way. I grinned as Dani and Sammi ran over and hugged me. "Hi, girls. Ready for a swim with Momma? I just need to take my dress off. I have my suit on underneath my clothes."

Sammi grinned and nodded. Dani squealed and clapped her hands. Ti was in Mark's arms, but she heard me all the same and grinned at me. "Momma's so smart! It's wike underwear, right?"

I laughed and nodded. I stood up, swaying slightly. Jack let go of Steph's hand and grabbed my shoulder. "Love, I got ye. Are ye okay?"

I nodded. "Sorry. Just dizzy. I stood up too fast. Actually, Jack, can you help me out of this dress? It just pulls on and off over my head, but I don't want to lose my balance." Jack kissed me sweetly and nodded, reaching down and lifting the dress off me gently. I heard giggles from the girls as it momentarily got caught in the hair, but Jack helped me escape, and I walked over to the edge of the pool, the shallow end, holding Dani and Sammi by the hands. I helped all the kids into the pool, one at a time, after I slipped in the water. Our daughters immediately started swimming enthusiastically. I grinned as they splashed around, helping Jacob and Katie, holding a hand under each of them. I saw Felix headed our way, dressed in swim trunks as well. Jacob squealed when he saw his father and waved, almost flailing in the water. Fortunately, I had a firm hand under him and he was wearing water wings. "Hey Jacob, calm down. Your daddy is on the way, but you don't want to drown before you can show him how well you swim, right?"

Jacob shook his head. "Sowwy, Aunt [Y/N]. Tank you fow hewping me." 

I smiled. "Sure sweetie. I like it when you and your mommy and daddy visit, and I know our girls do too."

Stephanie swam over and hugged him. "We wike you wots Jake! You's fun!" Jacob grinned and hugged her back, then started swimming around with the girls. I moved my hand away as he found his balance and swam away. 

Felix joined me, grinning as he entered the water and watched his son swim around. He looked over at me after a minute. "Thanks for helping Jacob. And your daughters all seem to be strong swimmers. Do they swim very often?"

Jack laughed from where he was sitting on the edge of the pool, overseeing everything. "Felix, they love tha water. And we take them ta swim class every weekend, almost, so they can learn and socialize. We're skipping this week, obviously, because of tha party. It's tha 'tadpole' class for birth ta age five. Ye and Marzia should bring Jacob sometime. It's surprisingly fun for tha adults too."

Felix nodded. "I'll tell Marzia then. She's more on top of that kind of thing." Katie splashed me, a little unexpectedly, drawing my attention back to her. I continued helping her for a little while, heading into slightly deeper water after I handed her back out of the water to Jack. Jack helped her dry off and she toddled off carefully, looking for her parents. As soon as I was free, I headed for the deep end and started swimming back and forth, enjoying some very gentle exercise. The water felt wonderful. I passed Mark on one of my swim trips, where he was playing with the girls, and stopped long enough to give him a quick kiss. When I got ready to get out, I headed over to where Jack was and he helped me climb out, earning himself a kiss as well. I dried off and headed back into the house to change into soething warmer, secure in the knowledge everything was going well and everyone was happy for now. I actually managed to get out of the wet swimsuit fairly well and into underwear without falling or getting too dizzy, but had to stop and take a break before I tried getting dressed. I sat down on the bed, shivering slightly as a wave of dizziness swamped me, making me lie down. The bed felt so wonderfully comfortable, I ended up crawling under the covers, suddenly too tired to do anything else but take another nap.


	21. The Fall of Mark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh...

I woke up to see Jack cuddled up next to me, sound asleep. I smiled at his sleeping body and leaned in for a gentle kiss. After I kissed him, I crawled out from under the blankets and made my way over to the closet, moving slowly and carefully, finding a new outfit. I decided to wear a dark, loose skirt and a beautiful full, flowing silver tunic with long full sleeves and the channel logos for my channel, Jack's, Mark's, and several of our other YouTuber friends ringing the bottom hem. The clothes were loose enough I could move comfortably and they were wonderfully soft and warm, an ever growing concern. Once I was dressed again, I headed into the bathroom for a quick hair brushing, then out to the main part of the party. It looked like everyone had pretty much moved inside. The food had changed at some point while I was asleep, changing from the light, snacks and lunch type items, to the more dinner-like foods we had decided on for the evening. I grabbed a plate and dipped out a small meal, settling on an armchair in the living room to eat. Mary and Ken were still sitting together in the other armchair. Danny was sitting on the couch with Sammi and Dani, and they were all singing and playing some sort of game. They looked very happy and it brought a smile to my face watching them. Mom was sitting next to them, rubbing Dani's back. Dee was on the other side, reading with Steph and Ti curled up in her lap. Felix and Marzia were cuddling together in the recliner, holding Jacob, who was fast asleep in Marzia's arms. I wasn't sure where anyone else was at the moment until I heard a loud clatter from the basement and a yell of pain from Mark. I set my plate down immediately and got up as quickly as I could, trying not to get too dizzy and faint in the process. Momiplier beat me to the stairs by a hair, coming from the nursery at a run. She smiled as she spotted me making my way over and helped me down to the basement so we could both find out what had happened. 

At the bottom of the steps, we were met by a pale and shaking Matt and Ryan. Matt immediately pulled me aside. "Go call an ambulance. It's an emergency."

I held up my hand. "What's an emergency? What happened? Where's Mark? I know he was the one who just yelled. I recognized his voice. Is he alright?"

Ryan answered as Matt looked away. "He's hurt. We're pretty sure he at least broke an arm. We need to call for help."

Momiplier nodded, swallowed, and grabbed him by the hand. "Come on. Upstairs with me. You can tell them what happened. [Y/N], go see if you can help Mark."

I nodded and Matt pointed to the 'Man Cave' with a slightly trembling arm before he ran upstairs as well. I walked into the room, stepping quickly, but not so fast I would get any dizzier than I already was. My heart was pounding in my throat as I got to the door and tears were threatening to blind me, even before I looked in to see whatever was in the room. As I stepped around the door frame, I was met by the sight of Mark, sprawled out, clearly unconscious on the floor, his arm at a terribly disconcerting angle and his leg pinned under him. I stepped over and my first aid training kicked in, allowing me to handle the situation without panicking until the immediate danger had passed and Mark was being treated by professionals. I knelt down my his side and checked him over for less obvious injuries, starting with his head. He had a large knot forming on the back of his head, on the right side, which, coupled with the pain from his clearly broken arm and probably leg, might have been why he was knocked out. There was no blood when I touched it though, so I moved on. His right arm was broken, halfway between the wrist and elbow. I bit my lip and gently moved it just slightly, lining it back into a more natural position and pinning it to his side with a makeshift sling I fashioned out of a towel I found lying on the back of the couch. I used gentle fingers to check his collarbone and shoulder, but they seemed relatively intact, so I moved on, slowly checking the rest of him for injury. His right leg also appeared to be broken, so I straightened it as well and sat down on the floor next to him, pulling him close as carefully as I could. I was afraid he would go into shock, so I was trying to keep him warm. My eyes searched the room for a blanket, but there wasn't one in here. I bit my lip for a few seconds until I remembered I had one in my art studio. I gently stood up and ran down the hall, opening my door and grabbing the spare blankets from the back of the couch I had in there. I had three and I figured Mark might need them all, so I ran back to his side. Unfortunately, I moved too quickly and my dizziness overwhelmed me just as I got back to him, causing me to faint right on top of him. That's how Jack found us both a minute later. He brought me back around with a gentle hand to the shoulder. My eyes fluttered and the room spun wildly for a few seconds, but I forced myself to settle and managed to roll off Mark. Once I was clear, I drew the blankets up over him. He had started shivering slightly, his body indeed going into shock. I couldn't stop myself from crying now, great racking sobs. Jack came over and picked me up from where I was sitting on the floor, holding me close. "Shh, love, it'll be alright. Calm down, sweetheart. Mark's going ta be just fine, ye'll see. Ye got him all comfy and tha ambulance will be here quick as a wink ta get him all checked out. Come here and just snuggle inta me." I shivered, fear, dizziness, and emotions making me feel ill, weak, and overwhelmed. Jack carried me over to the couch and set me down, settling in next to me, trying to soothe me and keeping an eye on Mark at the same time. "Ye'll see lass. It'll be like tha time I got hurt, just after we agreed ta all be together. Everything will work out fine. Ye handled that like a champ, and I've no doubt ye can manage this too. Shh. It's okay. Jack's here, love. Just calm down and breathe. In and out. Good lass. Keep going." Jack rubbed my back, letting me settle back down, taking the urgency off my building panic and diffusing the overwhelming anxiety that had started.

By the time the ambulance crew had arrived, I was still crying but back in better control. The paramedics immediately put the still unconscious Mark on the stretcher and had both Jack and I follow them out. When I felt faint on the stairs, Jack had to catch me and the paramedics all insisted I get checked out as well, if for no other reason than panic and my pregnancy. I shook my head and explained about my dizziness as we rode in the back of the ambulanc, Jack and I both practically glued to Mark's left side, leaving his injured side accessible to the medical staff. They were all very kind and complimented me on my first aid assessment and how I waited to fall apart until after I handled the situation. Jack smiled at me, rubbing one hand along my back. Mark was starting to show signs he was regaining consciousness, so I focused on him, gently running a hand over his head, stroking his hair back from his face. He whimpered and moaned then his eyes shot open. If he hadn't been strapped down to the backboard, he would have sat upright as his body reacted to the panic and pain. Jack and I were both holding his good hand and gave it a gentle, reassuring squeeze. "Mark, sweetie, you're going to be okay. I patched you up, while your Mom, Matt, and Ryan called for help. Jack and I are here and we're all on the way to the hospital." I leaned down and gently kissed his forehead. "Try to stay still baby, you're strapped down and moving would be bad for you right now. What happened anyway? Matt and Ryan didn't say, other than you were hurt."

Mark looked at me, glassy-eyed, and then at Jack. I stayed leaned in close and could see the struggle he was having to form coherent thoughts and words. "I... I remember falling. I was on the bookshelf? I don't know."

I brushed my hand along the side of his face. "Shh. It's okay Mark. We can figure it out later. Just stay calm and rest. You banged your head pretty hard, from what I could tell, and you broke your leg and arm. That was all I could tell from a fast assessment, so I'm going to make sure they check you over carefully at the hospital. I need you to stay as intact as you can sweetheart." I smiled into his face. "You scared me, so, so bad." I shivered slightly. Jack pulled me back, into his arms. I stayed there with my eyes closed, reliving the sight of Mark sprawled on the floor, pale and clearly hurt. I shuddered and shivered again. Jack just kept holding me, one armed, never letting go of Mark's hand either. I was still holding Mark's hand as well, so when he squeezed his hand we both felt it and I looked back into his face. "Sorry, Mark. I'll try not to fall apart on you here. I just can't get the image of how you were laying on the floor, so clearly hurt, out of my head."

Mark looked at me, sadness and pain in his eyes. "Babe, I'm so sorry. Wait. I was in the basement. How did you...?"

Jack looked at me, pulling my attention back to him. "Love, how did ye get down there?"

I blushed and made a face. "I can walk, you two. Momiplier and I heard Mark cry out and went down together. We took it really slow, so I was fine, and Matt and Ryan came flying out of the room to meet us at the bottom of the steps, insisting we immediately call for help. I knew I couldn't go back up the steps right away, so I sent the three of them up to make the call and walked in to see what I could do. I set your arm and leg enough to move you, Mark, and found the lump on the back of your head. You probably have a concussion. And I got the blankets from my art studio and wrapped you up when you started to get shocky. That's when I fainted then fell apart. Jack had to help pull me out of a panic attack." I looked away from both of them, focusing all my attention on looking at Mark's good hand, unable to meet their eyes. 

Jack squeezed my shoulder and kissed my cheek. "Love, ye did amazing. Ye waited ta panic until ye took care of him, as much as ye could. And ye didn't get that far out of control." I leaned into Jack's chest, curling my body up. Jack rested his hand on my back now, gently rubbing. "Mark's going ta be fine."

Mark made a soft whimper. "Shit. As long as I stay still. I just tried to nod. I think I might be sick..." I looked at Mark, a mix of feelings and emotions playing across my face. I saw confusion on his when amusement won the battle. 

I couldn't keep the small, amused grin off my face. Mark raised an eyebrow. I chuckled softly. "Sorry, Mark. I was just thinking that now you know a little of how I've been feeling for the last several weeks. It makes me sick to move, or it does when I don't take my medicine. And you're probably dizzy as all hell too." Jack shook his head at me. "Not that I was wishing this on either of you. Heh. You know, you're going to be stuck in a wheelchair for a while now, sweetheart. You can't use crutches with a busted arm and busted leg. And you're going to have to have help recording for your channel, just like Jack did." I smiled softly. "Hmm. I think I might see if I can bow out of the rest of this season of the show, or only making occasional appearances, and focus on filming YouTube stuff alone. I mean, between recording with Jack three days a week at least, my channel, and helping you now, Mark, I'm going to need the extra time. Plus, it's easier on me than filming the show and if I need to take a break I can."

The ambulance pulled up to the hospital, causing a flurry of activity around us, and Mark was wheeled in on a gurney. Jack and I followed, at a slower pace. We had to wait while Mark was taken off to be seen by the doctors and get x-rays. While we waited, we filled out paperwork and were lead to a room where Mark was going to have to stay, at least overnight. Several of the doctors and nurses recognized me, from my hospital stay not all that long ago, and most of them insisted on checking up on my health as well and asking about the babies. They smiled as we gave them the updates we had, including the clean bill of health for me. And while a few people seemed to recognize us for other reasons, like from the TV show or YouTube, we remained relatively unmolested. Before we were lead back to the room for Mark, we had been spotted by fans, which is why we were allowed to wait back in the room before Mark returned. I tried to sit calmly and just wait, but my nerves were so keyed up, I stood up and started to pace. Jack came over and stopped me, one hand on my tummy, one hand around my shoulders. "[Y/N], love, this isn't doing ye or tha babbies any good. Come sit over here with me and try ta calm down. Please? If not for yerself, for tha sake of tha babies and me. We need ye ta stay strong."

I sighed and let myself be lead over to the recliner in the corner, where Jack seated himself and pulled me into his lap. I curled into his warmth and calm presence, trying to relax. I knew Mark was in good hands and we had gotten him here as fast as we could, but I was worried he was more hurt than we had been able to tell at first glance. Jack started rubbing soothing little circles on my baby bump, quietly, almost absentmindedly humming to himself, as we sat waiting. I closed my eyes and leaned into him a little more, resting my head on his shoulder. I felt his lips press on my forehead, sweetly, and smiled a small smile, just grounding myself for whatever was coming next. We didn't have a long wait. Mark was wheeled in just a few minutes later, then hooked up to an IV and several monitoring machines. He was awake, but still looked groggy, and had apparently been given something for the pain because he looked a little fuzzy, soft rather than pained and pinched. I sat up and walked over to his side, taking his good hand. "Hey babe, how are you feeling? Are you holding up okay?"

Mark smiled dreamily at me. "You stole my line. I was just going to ask you the same thing. I'm okay, mostly, I think. The doctor's going to be in shortly to discuss things. They gave me something for the pain though, so I'm a little out of it. I'm so sorry baby. I feel like I ruined the party."

I laughed a little and leaned forward to kiss Mark on the lips. He smiled as I stood back up, squeezing my hand. "Markimoo, I'm just glad you're alright. Your moms will be too. And so will our friends. The party can go on without us for a while, I think. It's not like I was really all that involved in most of the activities anyway." I leaned over and stroked Mark's cheek, holding my hand there for several minutes after. "Mark, you really need to be more careful. My heart may be healed from that virus, but the two of you are what keep me going. You help me so much on a day to day basis, I'm not sure I could function without you both. I don't want to have to try either, especially now." I bit my lip and looked down. Mark let go of my hand to move it to my baby bump, protectively and possessively, a gesture that almost made me cry. I busied myself finger combing his crazed hair, trying in vain to tame the floof. "You need a haircut, Mark Fischbach."

Mark grinned at me. "Yes, yes I do. And that was a good subject change. Seriously, though, are you okay?" I nodded and looked back into Mark's eyes. The concern and love was still there, but the medicine was making his normally strong focus fade and he didn't hold my gaze for long. I just stayed where I was, looking at him and stroking his hair and cheek until he fell asleep a minute later. I sighed and stepped back over to Jack, who had been watching the whole thing wordlessly. He pulled me back into his lap and hugged me close again. I shuddered and shivered, suddenly cold again. Jack's warmth helped, but I was still feeling cold. I snuggled down as close as I could and we just watched Mark sleep, keeping our thoughts to ourselves for the moment.

Before very long, Mark woke back up, looking confused as hell, and at almost the same time, his doctor walked in. She introduced herself as Dr. Fletcher. "Hi folks. Well, our patient here did quite a number on himself, didn't he. Right leg broken in two places, right arm badly broken, three cracked ribs, and a concussion. What on earth happened?"

Mark blushed and looked at the blanket. I had gone still and paled at the extent of his injuries, swaying a little in Jack's arms. Mark spoke up. "Um, I can't remember exactly, but I know I was climbing a bookcase to get something down. I think I misstepped? Or the shelf broke under me? Anyway, I tried to catch myself and ended up flailing around and bringing the whole bookcase down on top of me. I hit my head on the floor, I remember, and the next thing I remember was waking up in the ambulance on the way here."

I closed my eyes. What the hell could Mark have been trying to get down that was so important? And why the hell hadn't Mark and Jack secured the bookcase to the wall, like I had made them do in every other room in the house? I took a few deep breaths, trying to stay calm. Yelling at Mark, no matter how much he needed it, wouldn't help right now. The doctor had hummed slightly making notes as Mark talked, and after a moment, she spoke up again, making me open my eyes and focus on her. "Well, that certainly explains more than it doesn't. You're lucky, that's all I can say. Whoever set that arm and leg first, knew what they were doing and saved us a lot of time and you a lot of pain." 

I blushed as Jack rubbed my back and spoke up. "That would be our lass, here. She's right handy at first aid. She handled everything like a pro, but then started ta fall apart a bit. She's pregnant, about ten weeks, with octuplets, and I've been trying ta help her stay calm, but I know she's struggling."

Dr. Fletcher looked at me more closely. "Hmm. Has anyone checked you out today, just to make sure the stress isn't getting to you? You going to be at a much higher risk of blood pressure issues right now."

I shook my head. "I'm okay, really. I'm just having trouble with anxiety, a little. Now that I know Mark is going to be okay, even if he does have some really bad injuries, I can start to calm down better. I just wish I knew what the hell he was thinking, climbing the shelves like that. And why weren't the shelves bolted to the wall, like I made them do in every other room?" I shook my head, tears blurring my eyes, not even realizing I had said the last two sentences out loud. 

Jack hugged me. "We're sorry lass. We didn't even think ta bolt tha shelves ta tha wall. We know ye and tha girls don't go in that room, or we thought ye didn't anyway, and it just didn't occur ta us ta do that." Jack was blushing slightly. I rolled my eyes. Then I started shivering again as a thought raced across my mind. What would have happened if it had been one of our daughters instead of Mark that the shelves fell on? Would they even have survived? I felt the panic bubbling up and I shuddered, even as Jack held me closer, trying to calm me down, looking worried as I shook like a leaf in a storm. "Love? What just happened? Ye seemed almost calm again, and now yer shaking and shivering. Are ye cold?"

I whimpered and leaned into Jack, tears streaming as I buried my face in his chest and sobbed. "Jack. What if it had been one of the girls? Oh god, I don't think I can handle this."

Jack went still as my comment registered on his brain. I could feel him stiffen and suddenly start to shiver along with me, but didn't see him go ghostly pale. He wrapped his arms around me even tighter. "Shh. Love, it's okay. Mark's strong. He can handle this. And tha girls are all safe. Ye made sure our parents were watching them closely. It's okay, I promise. Shh." 

Mark's comment broken my concentration on Jack's voice, making me shiver again. "Babe? What did you say to Jack? He just lost all the color in his face. You both look like sheets of paper right now, you're so pale."

The doctor came over and touched my shoulder. "Come on my dear. We need to get you calmed down. I think we're going to have to give you something to help, a very mild, very safe, for you and your babies, sedative. And we need to monitor your blood pressure."

I looked up into her face, seeing the kindness and compassion, and simply sobbed, losing all the control I had been so desperately clinging to. The doctor called for another bed and they admitted me on the spot, so I ended up in a bed next to Mark. I had asked that they roll the bed over to his good side so we could hold hands at least, which helped me calm down, especially when Jack climbed up next to me and curled in close, wrapping his arms around me again. I scooted as close to Mark as I could, snuggling his good side, being careful not to bump his ribs or the casts on his arm and leg. It wasn't until I was lying next to him that I noticed how extensive the leg cast really was. Mark's leg had a cast all the way from his toes up to his hip. I shivered a little when I saw it, but Jack just pulled blankets up and wrapped me up, covering Mark's cast from view at the same time. Mark, for his part, wrapped his good arm under me and pulled me in tight to his side, cuddling me and trying to comfort me. Once I was laying in the familiar warmth of both men's arms, my eyes drifted closed, despite my best efforts to stay awake and I drifted off to troubled sleep, aided by the medicine the doctor had given me. When I woke up, I was much calmer, but no less worried. I looked at Mark for a long time, watching him sleep. Jack was asleep as well, for the moment, but I knew as soon as I shifted positions, both of the would wake up. I just stayed still, chewing over the events of the day, the week, the month, trying to come to terms with all the sudden changes in our lives. I started mentally reviewing. First, the girls were sick right before PAX, stressing me out badly. Then we went to PAX and were as busy as ever, just from the scheduled events. While at PAX, we found out I was pregnant again after being forced to go to the hospital because of burst ovarian cysts. Jack proposed at his panel. When the dust finally settled and we made it back home, we got the news that we were having eight babies, and we had to tell everyone. Then we had to go to the hospital because of how sick I got. Finally, we had birthdays to celebrate, mine and Ken's, and at the shared party Mark got pretty badly hurt and we were back in the hospital. No wonder my head was spinning. We had been spending an inordinately large amount of time in and out of hospitals since September started. I sighed as quietly as I could, just letting Mark's and Jack's calm soak into me. I felt Jack waking up behind me, so I shifted slightly, letting him have a little more room to stretch and come awake at his own speed. I felt him immediately wrap arms around me and hug me. "Are ye doing any better now, love?" I smiled and nodded, keeping my thoughts to myself. Jack sighed deeply with relief. "Good. Ye need ta stay strong. I know this was bad, but we're all alright. Mark will get better. He'll be back ta normal before tha babies even make an appearance."

I turned my head and looked at Jack, a long slow look. Then I shook my head. "No, sweetie, he won't. Not with his leg or his ribs. He'll be able to do some things, but he won't be fully back to normal for a long time. Thank you for looking out for me though. I'll be okay now. I just needed some time to wrap my head around things." I cuddled in closer to Jack, then looked into his face as best I could from the angle I was at. "Sean, love, have you called anyone at the house? I mean, we definitely should. We're going to need someone to drive out to get us and to bring my wheelchair. Mark really will need it." I felt Mark shift beside me and looked over to see him watching me, a half smile on his face. He raised an eyebrow at me, clearly asking how I was. I leaned forward into him and carefully hugged him. "Hey Markimoo. I was just asking Jack to call home. How are you feeling lover? I'm starting to feel better, but you're the one I'm worried about now."

Mark flashed a smile at me, melting my heart. "Babe, I'm fantastic. You're here. Jack's here. The girls are safe. Everything is fine. The pain isn't even that bad. I do have one hell of a headache, though."

Jack chuckled. "Yeah, I remember tha feeling. And if ye move, ye're going ta regret it. Ye'll probably throw up. I did." Jack smiled at me, leaning in for a kiss. "Why tha hell do ye put up with us, lass? We put ye through hell."

I giggled. "I love you. Both of you. That's why I put up with you. Even if you are accident prone." I reached down and rubbed my tummy. "And overly fertile. You two have had to deal with plenty of medical drama because of me as well. Mark, I'm glad you're okay. Jack, go call home. Dee, Momiplier, Mom, Matt, Ryan, and your parents are going to be very worried, even if no one else knows what happened. And please hand me my purse. I'm going to look at a few things on my calendar. I'm serious about switching things up at work, so I need to see what I have to move to make this work, besides talking to Vicki and the writers. I think this will line up with their plan better anyway though. At least for me." Jack got out of the bed, handed me my purse, and got out his cell phone, calling home. He immediately put it on speaker, so we could all hear and talk if we needed to. Mom picked up. I grinned. "Hey Mom. Can you gather everyone up?"

"Baby? Do you have news about what happened to Mark? Is he okay? It's been a couple of hours, and everyone is worried sick about him. And you."

Mark cleared his throat. "I'm pretty banged up, but I'll live. And I've been admitted overnight to watch me because of the concussion I have. [Y/N] was admitted too, because of the anxiety she was having and the concern about the babies and her blood pressure. We're both okay, just laying around, trying to stay calm, warm, and not moving so we don't get sick."

I rested a hand on Mark's chest, trying to comfort him without hurting him. He smiled at me. There was a moment of silence then bedlam on the other end of the phone. After a few seconds of chaos, I heard Mom's voice cut through the crowd and quiet everyone down. "Okay guys, I know everyone has questions. It sounds like Mark's okay, and we can finally get a few answers. Mark and [Y/N] are on the phone with me now."

Jack spoke up. "Hey! I'm here too. I was just being quiet so ye could hear them talk."

Mom's voice sounded highly amused. "Sorry Jack. I just didn't expect _you_ to be the quiet one. Now, can you please tell everyone what's going on? You mentioned a concussion Mark?"

I sighed. "Mark is in pretty rough shape. If you all remember Jack's little accident with the box falling on him, you'll have a partial idea. Mark didn't dislocate his shoulder, but he broke his arm pretty badly, his leg in two places, three ribs, and gave himself a concussion. We're going to need somebody to come get us tomorrow and to bring the wheelchair for Mark. Also, someone go down to the basement and close the door for the room Mark fell in. Those shelves are unstable, even if Matt and Ryan did manage to get them back up, I'm not going to be happy until they are bolted to the wall, like all the other bookcases in the house. I know the girls don't go into the basement by themselves, but I don't want any more accidents, for anyone." I felt Mark stroke his left hand down my back, reminding me to keep calm. I snuggled in close again and kissed him gently, making him smile.

Pa sounded startled. "Jack was hurt that bad before? Ye lot didn't exactly tell us how bad it was."

Jack sounded embarrassed as he answered. "I asked them not ta Pa. Ye and Ma didn't need ta worry any extra. And Mark took really good care of both of us. That's when we found out about tha heart condition [y/n] had and tha virus. We were both a mess for a good long while. And everyone helped take care of us then."

I reached out a hand to Jack, silently asking him back over to us. He smiled and walked back over, cuddling in the bed with us as we listened to discussion on the other end. Everyone seemed to be arguing about who would do what to help, so I silenced them all. "Mom, can you get the wheelchair to bring tomorrow? It should be upstairs in one of the empty guest rooms. Pa, can you oversee getting the basement squared away? I bet Matt and Ryan will help you bolt the bookshelf in place if you want to do that right away. Dee, Momiplier, Mom, can you three take charge of the girls for the night? Dan, will you come pick us up tomorrow morning?"

I heard quiet laughter from both Jack, Mark, and the other end of the phone. I raised an eyebrow, unconsciously, slightly irritated at being laughed at. Dan's voice finally came over the other end of the phone. "Yes, general. We can do all that. Now, please. both you and Mark just relax. Jack, you keep an eye on them, okay buddy? If you need anything, just call us. Now, can we come visit you tonight, or are you not allowed visitors?"

I chuckled. "I think they will let a few of you in. We've got some of the same doctors I had the last time I was here. Honestly, Jack and I could probably come home tonight, but I'd rather stay and watch Mark, make sure he's okay when the pain medicines wear off and make sure I can stay calm."

I heard a noise at the door and Dr. Fletcher was standing there. She stepped in. "Actually, we do need to keep you. We drew a little blood, just for routine checking, since you've been here recently for dehydration and malnutrition. The results are a little off, so we want to run the tests again in the morning, but it looks like you might have an infection or possibly the flu, showing elevated white blood cell counts. Your vitamin levels are off as well, which is concerning, and you are slightly dehydrated again. It's not bad enough that we are going to need to hook you up to an IV, yet, but we need you to drink more and rest. If your levels are still off in the morning, we might have to investigate putting you on an antibiotic and possibly some other medicines as well. Is this your family on the phone?"

I nodded, trying not to be discouraged. "Yes, our family and friends were all at our house already when this happened and we were just calling them to update them on what was going on. Um, can any of them come visit tonight, or do they need to wait until tomorrow?"

Dr. Fletcher smiled. "We can let a few people come back. Visiting hours are actually supposed to be over in half an hour, but we can make an exception for you. We know you can keep quiet and actually, the two of you, well, three, since I assume all three of you are staying the night?" Jack nodded quickly. "The three of you are almost alone in this part of the hall. Just try to keep it to less than eight people at a time visiting, please." We nodded and I heard discussion at the other end. 

I looked at Dr. Fletcher for a minute. "Um, we have four toddlers, under the age of two. Will they be allowed to visit?"

The doctor looked surprised. "You have four babies already? And now eight more on the way? Wow. There shouldn't be any problems with bringing them in, at least for a little while. And we can look the other way if you need a few extra adults for that many little ones." She smiled at us. "Are they little girls, boys, or some of each? And can I meet them?"

I laughed. "Our girls would love to meet you. They are pretty well behaved, especially for their age."

Dr. Fletcher smiled again and nodded. "Okay, I'll pop back in to check on you in a little while and meet the little ones. I have two sons of my own, but they are older now, teenagers, and I miss seeing the faces and reactions of littler ones." I smiled understandingly at her and thanked her quietly. She waved a hand and stepped back out of the room, leaving us to finish our conversation on the phone. 

Mark immediately spoke up. "Guys, how about if Mom, Dee, Danny, Arin, Suzy, and maybe Felix bring the girls in. I'll see everyone else later. Right now, I'm feeling pretty tired and I know [y/n] needs to rest. See everyone soon. Bye!" Mark turned slightly to look at me. "Babe? Come rest with me, please. Are you okay? You seem sad."

I blew out a sigh. "I'm trying to rest and take it easy. I mean, it seems like all I've done today was sleep, except when I was taking care of you or that short swim I took earlier." I looked down, feeling somewhat defeated. I felt Mark pull me in closer, his left arm still behind me, rubbing his good arm down mine, comforting me. Jack hugged me as well, scooting closer. 

"Love, ye are doing a great job. We just need ye ta relax. Let Mark and I look after ye for tha night." I tried to smile at him, but I was still feeling a bit defeated, so it came out a lot more wobbly than I would have liked. Jack reached over and cupped my cheek. "Come on love, cheer up. Ye know we love ye ta pieces."

I nodded, still looking down, unable to meet Jack's eyes. "Sorry. It just feels like no matter what I do, it's not enough lately. I desperately want these babies to be okay." I rubbed my baby bump, curling in on myself. "I don't know what else I can do..." I felt tears slipping down my face, but couldn't stop them at this point. "And I'm so fucking sick of crying all the time. Dammit all." 

Jack moved so he was sitting up and facing me. He looked sad. Then he surprised me by picking me up and just holding me close, cradling me in his arms. "Love, ye are doing an amazing job taking care of tha babies. They are doing fine. It's ye that is struggling. Now, I know ye hate crying. It breaks Mark's heart ta see. Mine too. Ye matter so much ta tha both of us, it actually hurts ta see ye upset or in pain. That's why we've been so pushy lately. Now, pretty lass, dry yer eyes. We're just gonna spend tha night watching cartoons or something, relaxing, drinking whatever ye want. Tell ye what, I'll have Dee grab yer favorite blanket, tha one tha girls, Mark, and I gave ye for mother's day a while back. Ye can wrap up and get all warm and cozy and snuggle with us. We'll make tha nurses fetch ye drinks and food, just like ye are tha queen tha girls think ye are." I giggled a little at that, the tears slowing and finally stopping as Jack talked to me, soothing my anxiety and wiping the sorrow away, helping me to realize it really wasn't my fault that all this was happening. "That's better love. I can almost see a smile. Now, I'm going ta set ye back down ta snuggle with Markimoo. Ye just settle in and make him comfy while I text Dee. Thank ye lass."

I looked up at Jack's face. "For what, Sean?"

Jack smiled softly at me. "For calming down, for cheering up, for being so incredibly strong for tha two of us and tha girls. For fighting ta do everything ye can for these unborn babies. For being tha sweet, wonderful lass ye are. For loving us and letting us love ye. For everything." I blushed a little as Jack talked, but leaned into him, kissing him when he finished, letting my emotions flow freely in our kiss. It started off soft and gentle, but as Jack got more into it, it grew into a more emotional and tender kiss. I smiled at Jack when we separated. His color was high on his cheek and he was slightly breathless, making me feel oddly proud. Mark chuckled behind me, making me turn in Jack's arms to look at him.

He was grinning at the two of us. "You look like the cat who got into the cream, babe. And Jack looks like you sucker punched him, except he's happy about it." He chuckled again and then groaned.

I immediately tried to free myself from Jack's arms to go to Mark. Jack set me down, and I leaned lightly on Mark's side. "Mark? Sweetie? Is the pain bad?"

Mark opened his eyes, and I could see him fighting the pain. He nodded slightly and turned green. I grabbed the pan a nurse had left by the bed in case I got sick and held it for Mark as he threw up, unable to handle the return of the pain. I rubbed his back and swept his hair out of his face, then gently wiped his face with a cool cloth that Jack handed me. A nurse came in just as I was finished, taking the pan away. I looked at him. "His pain is really bad again. Can he get some more medicine, please? Oh, and can I get something to drink? Maybe a blackberry or banana smoothie?"

The nurse smiled and nodded his head. "Sure. You're our patient too, you know. Just push the call button if you need anything. Any of you. Sir," He indicated Jack "the doctor wants to admit you too, temporarily to make sure your blood pressure and anxiety levels stay stable. She was concerned about that earlier. I'll be back in just a moment to take all of your blood pressures, temperatures, and get food orders in for dinner. And you my dear young lady, need to be drinking a lot more. I was here when you were in a few weeks ago for dehydration, so I know how fast that can get ahead of you. You just say here and protect your men and relax."

I smiled a genuinely happy smile at the man as he left, making both Mark and Jack smile a little too. Mark still looked awful, but he was trying to hide his pain behind a brave front. I handed him a glass of water to rinse his mouth out, knowing how nasty my mouth always felt after being sick. "Here babe. Rinse your mouth out." Mark smiled at me as he took the cup with a scant inch of water in the bottom. He swished it around a little then spit it back into the cup. I took it back from him and slowly walked to the bathroom, throwing the water down the sink, disposing of the cup, and using the toilet while I was there. After I washed my hands, I made my way back to the bed and cuddled into Mark's side, just as the nurse returned, carrying a big cup in one hand and pushing a small cart in the other. 

The nurse, who informed us his name was Ben, started with me. "Well, let's get your temperature and blood pressure so you can drink your drink." He handed the cup to me and rolled a thermometer across my forehead and behind my ear. "Hmm. One hundred point four. That's a little high." I nodded and held out my arm so he could get my blood pressure. He smiled when he was done. "Your heart rate is good and your blood pressure was excellent, one ten over seventy-five. Nothing to worry about there. Now, drink your smoothie and cuddle with one of these two gorgeous men." He winked at me. "I'd ask how you got so lucky, but I don't swing that way and I have eyes. You're the cutest one of the bunch." I blushed and giggled at Ben's obvious harmless flirting and settled back in the bed, propping myself up just enough to comfortably drink with the straw. Mark's temperature was normal, but his blood pressure was elevated, probably from pain. Jack's temperature was normal as well, but he too had high blood pressure when the nurse checked and his heart rate was very high as well. From his reaction, it sounded like may they were dangerously high. Jack was immediately banished to the bed next to me, making him produce grumpy sounds and mutter under his breathe as he moved to obey. I cuddled into both men, smiling softly, and they seemed to relax a little, making Ben nod at me with a smile as he left. 

Jack made another grumpy noise until he looked at me, laying half on his chest. Then he smiled. "Love, ye just ruined a perfectly good, foul mood I had coming on." I grinned at him and kissed his cheek, not saying anything. He chuckled. "Yup, it's gone forever now. How did ye even do that?"

I shook my head. "You're too easy. I just knew you needed cheering up, and cuddles always work. Now, why were you being grumpy sweetie? Because the nurse was teasing you and mildly flirting with your very pregnant fiancee? Because he made me smile and giggle a little? Or because my blood pressure and pulse rate were better than yours?" I rested a hand on his chest, above his heart. "Because if that's the case, let me remind you, my white blood count was elevated in the blood test and I have a fever, besides being mildly dehydrated. I'm just trying to stay calm for the babies, and knowing the doctors are looking after both of you, and that I can actually make you both slow down and relax with me, guilt free, is making me feel better. I don't have to feel guilty that either of you are taking care of me, instead of doing something else, or worry that your stress levels are going unchecked. Someone else is watching over both of you as well, someone with training I don't have, in fact, multiple people with full training, and I can make sure you take care of yourselves by staying with me in bed. All any of us have to do right now is try to rest, relax, and let the people around us do their jobs without fighting them over every little thing they tell us to do." I smiled a little brighter. 

Mark chuckled. "I guess that's one way to look at this. But you need to rest too, babe. What the doctor's told us was you're getting sick. We can't have you sick on top of everything else, so you just lie here with us and snuggle. We'll keep you warm. You can boss us around too, if you must."

I looked over at him, raising an eyebrow, a small scowl replacing my smile as my face fell at his words. "You think I'm being bossy?"

Mark immediately looked panicked and shook his head, then groaned and looked a little green again. Jack held the bucket for him this time as Mark threw up again. I pushed the nurse call button and Ben came back before Mark even finished throwing up. He silently took the bucket and gave us a new one and adjusted something behind Mark's head, on one of the monitors. "Okay big guy. What made you sick?"

I bit my lip as I looked at Mark's overly pale and sweaty face. He just closed his eyes and laid back on the pillows to spent to even explain. I looked at Ben's face as I explained what happened. "Basically, Mark just shook his head and it made him throw up." I looked back at Mark. "Sweetheart, was it the pain?" Mark opened one eye and gave me a thumbs up on his good hand. I nodded and looked back at Ben. "He just said yes, if you missed it. I think the concussion must be pretty bad, for him to get sick just by shaking his head. Jack had the same problem when he had his concussion a few years ago and it was a bad one as well. He had major brain swelling for a long time from it." I was worried about Mark, and I'm sure it must have been clear on my face because Ben nodded and reached a hand over to pat me on the shoulder reassuringly.

"I'll let the doctors know right away. You just try to relax and keep the two of them in line, okay? Thanks for making sure we knew right away about him getting sick. We have to keep track of this for the first twenty-four hours to make sure nothing gets missed. Mark, you might have to go for a brain scan if you keep throwing up every time you move. If that happens, your lovely companions will have to scoot back over to the second bed and wait for you here. No radiation or imaging for pregnant ladies, unless they absolutely need it to save their life." With this statement, Ben left again.

I smiled faintly, looking down at my baby bump. Jack and Mark both moved their hands to touch it, and me, as well. Jack nodded, then smiled at me. "We got ta protect ye, love, as best we can. Right, Mark?"

Mark smiled, opening his eyes again. "Absolutely. Even from ourselves if need be." He sighed. "And baby, I wasn't trying to say you were being bossy before. I just didn't think before I spoke. I'm sorry for being an idiot." He sighed again used the fingers of his bad hand to try to wave me closer. I went willingly, still mindful of his ribs, getting close enough that even with the cast and sling helping keep the arm stabilized and his ribs in place, he could reach me. He immediately touched my arm, gently rubbing it. I looked into his face, worried about him. "I think today, hell this week as a whole, I should just plead idiocy and hope for forgiveness. I shouldn't have been climbing those shelves. I shouldn't have worried myself into a state the night you made me sleep at Eddie's. I shouldn't have been such a dismissive ass the other day when you tried to explain how you felt." Mark looked into my eyes. "Please forgive me, babe."

I smiled faintly at Mark and leaned into a very gentle hug. "Sweetheart, I know you're under a lot of strain right now. Yes, you should have done all those things differently. I'm not really mad at you, just sad that you got hurt and are unhappy. I love you and don't want to see you hurt or sad for any reason, even self-inflicted. Now, just lie still. Ben will be back with something for the pain or a doctor in a few minutes."

"Thank you, [y/n]."

I just shook my head and snuggled both men, moving slightly so I was between both of them more again. Jack immediately pulled the blankets up over me, shifting so he could cradle my back and side more comfortably for both of us. Mark wrapped his good arm around both of us, holding us close. Then Jack handed me the smoothie I had momentarily forgotten, in the flurry of getting help for Mark again, and I forced myself to drink a bit more. It hit my stomach a little hard and I had to battle the nausea, but I managed to keep my stomach in place for the moment. I handed Jack the remote for the television, hoping for a distraction from being sick. Jack kissed the side of my head and took it wordlessly, turning it on very quietly. He channel surfed a few minutes until he found Tangled playing, near the beginning of the movie, and settled on that. I rolled my eyes slightly, but smiled anyway. I was just glad Jack had found a movie he and Mark would enjoy, that I could stand but could also tune out to sleep or focus on controlling my stomach. I rested my head on Mark's shoulder, turning slightly to face Jack, as I shifted into the most comfortable position I could manage in a hospital bed. I even managed a few more sips of my smoothie before I had to hand it back to Jack to put on the table. He smiled at me sweetly as he set it down. "Ye did great lass. Ye drank about half tha cup." His smiled widened a little as he gave me a gentle kiss. "Good job."

I made a small unhappy noise as my stomach flopped again, but I managed to keep from throwing up. Mark's voice behind me was rich and somewhat bemused when he asked me what was on his mind. "Babe? Was that because Jack was babying you or because you don't feel well?"

I blushed and turned to look at Mark. "Um, mostly because I feel like I'm going to vomit again, but also some because he sounded like he was encouraging Chica, Steve, or one of our daughters a little." I wiped a hand over my forehead, suddenly feeling sweaty and hot. Then my stomach lurched again. I sat up, quickly extracting myself from between Jack and Mark and running to the bathroom, barely making it to the toilet before I threw up again. Jack had followed me in and looked deeply sad. He came over and rested a hand on my shoulder, holding my hair back when I threw up again. 

"Love?"

I shivered, feeling hot and cold chills running up and down my whole body. My throat ached from vomiting, and my head was suddenly pounding. I looked up at Jack, feeling too weak to stand up, or even really do more than just lift my head to look at him. I had tears in my eyes when I answered him, my voice as harsh as a crow's caw. "Jack, I'm sick." 

Jack nodded, released my hair and lifted me up gently, carrying me back to the bed and lying me down gently. I was shivering again so Jack wrapped me up in the blankets, then pushed the nurse call button. Ben came back in a moment later. "What do you guys need? Is Mark throwing up again?"

Jack shook his head and explained. "Not right now. It's tha lass here. She threw up. She's burning up, sweating, and shivering near constantly. What can we do for her?"

Ben frowned and came over, placing a hand on my forehead for a minute. His frown deepened when he pulled his hand back and he stepped into the hallway for a moment. When he came back, he had a thermometer and was pushing buttons on his pager. He checked my temperature again and quietly swore at the result. "Damn. She's up to one hundred and one point five. Okay guys, the doctor will be in as soon as we can get her back. [Y/N], we're going to have to start you on an IV to keep you hydrated, get some antibiotics into you, and make sure you can get some other medicines if we need. Because you're throwing up again, we don't have the option of oral medication for you right now. The doctor may want to draw a little more blood to test to see what we are dealing with, but it shouldn't take much. You just lay back and try to get some sleep. Right now, that's the best thing for you. Thanks for calling me in Jack. Mark, the doctor will be checking on you too, when she comes by. Hang in there. She'll adjust the pain medications for you then." With that he was gone again, out the door and down the hall.

Jack wrapped his arms around me and snuggled me close, holding me. "Love, can I help ye in any way? Do ye need a drink of water or anything? How can I help ye feel better?" I curled up into his embrace and tucked my head into his chest. Before I could think of an answer, I was asleep again. I didn't feel the doctor come back in and start me on an IV drip, draw more blood, or move me over to a separate bed from Mark. Jack stayed wrapped around me, comforting me and protecting me, so that when I woke up, I was still cuddled into him, mostly. He was sitting up behind me, his arms still wrapped around me, one hand resting on my baby bump, one hand holding his phone as he scrolled through social media. He didn't notice I was awake again for a minute, but as soon as he did, he set his phone down and hugged me. "Are ye feeling any less sick, love? Tha doctor came in and looked at ye, did a few things, and left again. Our family called and said they would be coming soon. In fact some of our friends are waiting down tha hall, if yer up ta seeing them."

I shifted positions slightly, feeling sweaty, but a lot less sick then I had been when I feel asleep, either because the medicine was working or the sleep had helped, so I nodded at Jack. "Yeah, I do feel better. At least some. I still feel like shit, but a lot less sick than before. And I'm happy to see whoever has stopped by." I looked up at Jack, noticing how drained he looked. "Sean, thank you for taking such good care of me. I'm sorry I got sick, on top of everything else. I'm not even sure where this came from, and it hit me so fast..."

Jack smiled at me, looking a lot less grim. "Shh, love, calm down. Ye know I don't blame ye for getting sick. Neither does Mark. He's down getting some more scans now. Ye've been asleep for about an hour and a half. It's half gone seven now. Tha doctors put ye on a liquid diet for tha moment, so if yer hungry, ye can have some soup, some jello, or ice cream. And ye can have all tha hot tea, juice, or coffee ye want."

I smiled a little. "Some soup and tea would be good. And maybe some jello." I sighed. "Have you gotten any supper, sweetie? You can let me go long enough to eat. I do appreciate you watching over me and cuddling me while I slept though. It made me feel a lot better, just like always. You look like you need some rest too though. I was hoping the short naps you took with me earlier might help you feel less exhausted, but you still look like your batteries need recharged. So does Mark. I know the stress is getting to both of you. Thank god I make us all keep a big buffer of videos, right? The fans would be all over the two of you for looking too run down.We don't need the extra noise, at the moment."

Jack smiled at me and shook his head. "Ye would think of that first. Okay, I'll rest too. No internet for tha rest of tha night. And we can call tha nurse's station and order dinner trays for both of us. Yer mom said tha party is a lot more subdued now, but everyone is still staying, mainly ta help with tha girls and ta wait for word on Mark. Tha extra food is being stored in tha fridge and freezers too, so we'll have stuff for after we get home, even if tha grandma squad doesn't want ta cook, but Momiplier is apparently planning on making tha world's largest batch of Chicken and Dumplings as soon as we can all get released. Tha girls will be thrilled. Ye know how crazy they are about that dish, just like Mark."

I giggled. "Yup. And they are just as crazy about cake and cookies as you. And they share my love of veggies, so it balances. We're pretty lucky, they aren't picky eaters and don't have a lot of food allergies."

Jack's smile brightened and he nodded. "Just tha nut allergy, like ye. And it's not too serious for any of ye. Now, let's call for dinner and see who's waiting ta visit with us, shall we?" I nodded, smiling. Jack called the nurse's station and we were informed someone would be in to take our dinner orders as soon as they could arrange it. We were also supposed to order a try for Mark. And they were going to inform our visitors they could start coming back to the room. Jack thanked the person on the phone and hung up, scooting me up into more of a propped up, seated position, still snuggled into his side. I yawned and helped get adjusted so we were both more comfortable. Jack settled his back and shoulders against the pillows and kissed me on the cheek. We had just gotten ourselves rearranged when the door opened, revealing a new nurse, a doctor, and a second nurse pushing Mark, still on his bed, back into the room. He smiled at us as they got his bed pushed up against the one Jack and I were in. "Welcome back Mark. Ye look a bit better. How are ye feeling, bro?"

Mark made a face, but didn't answer. I rolled over and hugged him, again being careful of his ribs and injuries while also trying not to breathe directly into his face. He threw his left arm around me and hugged me back, smiling at me. "Hey babe. You look like you might feel a little better. Good. Me too." He yawned. "I still feel crappy, but not as bad as before."

The doctor and one of the nurses had slipped out while we were talking, leaving us alone with the new nurse, who introduced herself as the night nurse for the evening, telling us her name was Erica S. "Now, the three of you missed the regular dinner trays, but we can still get meals for you, if we hurry. Guys, you have the choice of three entrees, turkey dinner, vegetable lasagna, or tuna casserole, or sandwiches and soup. Miss, you can have beef broth, vegetable soup, cream of broccoli, cream of mushroom, or chicken soup, as well as jello or ice cream, at any time. If you are feeling well enough to be switched back to solid foods later, the doctor will change the orders. Also, I need to take everyone's vitals while I'm here and all of you are awake. After I leave, if you need anything, just buzz. I'm right down the hall and I only have the three of you and one other room to take care of tonight. It's a slow weekend." She smiled as she stated this last part and came over, taking Mark's temperature, pulse, blood pressure, and checking his IV bags. She nodded to herself, noting the results on her tablet and moved on to me, noting out loud my pulse and blood pressure were both excellent still and my temperature had come back down to ninety nine degrees. Then she took Jack's vitals, frowning at his blood pressure numbers and heart rate, which apparently were still really high. She got our food requests, as well as a request from me for some mint tea, sent the order in, and nodded to all of us as she stepped out the door, just as our family came in, crowding the doorway for a minute, causing confusion. 

Tiana was the first one in, pulling on Felix's hand as she strained to speed him up and get in to see us. She cried out when she saw Mark. "Papa! Oh noes! You's got something on your arm and weg. It doesn't wook very soft." She ran over and reached up, gently touching the casts. "Brr. They's cowd too. And aw hard and scratchy. Is you okay?"

Felix sighed and came over, scooping her up, away from all the tubes and cords. "Sorry guys. How do the three of you manage these little monkeys? Tiana, we told you you had to stay holding my hand. You promised."

Jack, Mark, and I hid grins and Tiana looked at Felix. "I's sorry Unca Fewix. I forgotted."

I smiled at her. "Ti, baby, it's important." I looked at the rest of the group. Momiplier and Dee immediately headed over for Mark's side. Danny was holding Sammi, Arin had Dani by the hand, and Suzy was holding Stephanie. "Hi everyone. Thanks for coming in, watching the girls, and waiting for us."

Dan stepped closer to look at the three of us. "So, why are all three of you in hospital gowns this time?"

Jack blushed as he explained to everyone. "Well, Mark because of his injuries. [Y/N[ because she's actually sick, which may be why she's colder than normal and so tired. They admitted me too, because my blood pressure is so high. And my heart is beating really fast."

Dani reached out from Arin's arms, straining to reach Jack. "Daddy, ye and Momma and Papa wiw be all better soon! Tha doctors wiw take good care of ye." She looked at Arin. "Unca Arin, can ye take me over ta Daddy pwease? He needs a hug." Arin nodded, hiding a grin. Dani immediately climbed into Jack's lap and hugged him fiercely, then snuggled into his lap, refusing to get down for the moment. She reached a hand over and patted my side too. "Good Momma. Good Daddy. Ye rest. Good Papa too." We all smiled at her. Danny set Sammi on the bed too and she raced over to join her sister, claiming my lap as her perch. She hugged me tight and just refused to let me go, cuddling me close. I smiled at her and rubbed her back, telling her wordlessly I was okay. She just stayed were she was, laying on me while the rest of the room talked and watched the girls. Ti had wriggled out of Felix's arms and was standing by Mark's side, gently patting his shoulder and arm, above his cast. Stephanie watched all of us for a long minute after Suzy set her on the bottom of the bed, at Jack's feet. Before long, she had crawled up the bed to sit between Jack and I, beside her sisters. 

Danny shook his head at the three of us. "Mark, you really banged the hell out of yourself, didn't you? Damn. Well, at least the three of you can all stay here together and start to recover. [Y/N], babe, I think when Mark's ready to go home, you're still going to need to let Jack take care of him, and you. Listen, all three of you. If you need help, please ask us. I mean, me especially. You guys are always feeding me and letting me play with your daughters. I feel like I owe you a few million favors. And it's not like I can't make the time for all of you."

Felix nodded. "Yeah, the three of you are definitely going to get some extra help from the rest of us. You always do so much for everybody else, you bros are finally going to get some payback. And of course, your parents are going to be around for a while, but they are going to need to watch your girls, so the rest of us can help you three. You are all overworking and wearing yourselves out. We're going to talk to Vicki and see if she can take the writers aside and reduce your roles slightly for a while on set. Mark's injury give the perfect excuse, especially when you factor in the fact that [y/n]'s pregnant too."

I laughed, suddenly drawing everyone's attention. I looked at Jack. "Gee, does this sound like a familiar conversation? I think I might have said something earlier today, along the same lines about work." Felix raised his eyebrows at me. "No, seriously. I told Jack and Mark earlier, I'm going to have to start playing with Mark on his channel to help him record until he gets healed up some. And in the meantime, I'm going to pull back from the show, hopefully either taking a full hiatus or just doing a few guest-spot type appearances until late next season. The babies are more important and I can concentrate more on all of our channels and social media, which I know I can even do from bed if I have to. I even emailed Vicki earlier about it. But getting the guys to pull back a little too, might be smart. I already film three or four days a week with Jack, and have for years now. I guess I'll have to film with Mark the same way I started with Jack, everyday at the beginning and see what the community response will be. I know the fans don't usually seem to mind when I record a session with both of them, but they are still reluctant to accept change."

Felix nodded. "Yeah, but you bros make it easy on them, and you know how to manage the community better than anyone else I know. And you always keep a big buffer of back videos so you can even cycle those in to make the transition less dramatic."

I nodded, chuckling a little. "That's why I plan ahead. Even if none of us could record for a while, our channels would still keep going with no interruptions. Well, Jack's and Mark's would. Mine wouldn't do as well, since I don't really have a lot of stuff recorded ahead. I mean, I have some game plays, art, and animations, but my vlogs aren't prerecorded and they are most of what my channel is any more." I looked down at the girls. "The girls have even been making appearances lately. Along with my baby bump updates they are the most popular things I've been posting in a long time."

Sammi smiled up at me from my lap. "Is ye gonna put us in more videos Momma? It was fun."

I smiled back at her. "Probably. Did you like making videos with me and your Daddy and Papa?" Sammi, Dani, and Ti all nodded. Steph looked interested as well. "Well, then I'll just have make sure the four of you are in more videos in the future." All four of them clapped and grinned, looking back and forth between each other and me. Sammi and Ti hugged me as well. Dr. Fletcher stepped back in the room, having heard voices.

"Hello again. And hello to you lovely little ladies. My, my. Aren't you adorable. I'm your parents doctor. My name is Dr. Fletcher. And what are your names?" All four girls looked a little shy, so I told the doctor their names. They ducked their heads, clinging tighter to me. 

"Girls, it's okay. Dr. Fletcher is a nice lady. She's going to make sure Papa and I get better and keep Daddy from getting sick. Momma got sick after Papa got hurt." All four girls looked sad and hugged me, clinging to me like vines for a moment before settling back into their previous positions. 

Dr. Fletcher smiled. "Yep. Your Momma is a trouper though. She got a fever that went up over a hundred degrees and she was throwing up, but she never complained. I'm taking good care of all three of them and so are the other doctors here. I just wanted to check in on them one final time before I went home. Plus, your Momma said I could meet the four of you." 

Sammi smiled at the doctor. "Thank ye for taking care of Momma, Papa, and Daddy. Ye seem wike a nice wady." She stuck her thumb in her mouth for a minute, a habit Sammi had when she got nervous. Then she popped her thumb back out and added a final thought. "It bad when Momma get sick. Did our sibings make her sick again?"

I chuckled. "No baby. Your siblings didn't cause me being sick this time. I caught a cold or flu, like you girls get sometimes. The babies just made it harder for me to fight it off."

I rested my left hand on Sammi's back and closed my eyes for a minute. Momiplier immediately noticed. "Come on gang. [Y/N] is getting tired and all three of them need to relax and sleep. Tiana, Stephanie, let your sisters kiss and hug your parents and they you can take a turn. Dani, Sammi, say goodnight and give Momma, Papa, and Daddy a kiss and hug, then climb down. But be gently, okay? Good girls." Dr. Fletcher smiled, gave a finger wave and stepped back out of the room. The girls moved to obey, kissing Mark and I first then climbing into Jack's lap to say goodnight to him. They gave all of us smoochies and gentle hugs as they went. Jack helped them down from the bed and they ran back over to Arin, Suzy, Danny, and Felix who were standing at the bottom of the bed. Steph and Ti repeated the process. 

Once all four girls were standing with our friends, Danny spoke up. "Guys, we'll be back tomorrow. Have a good night, okay? Everybody just relax and get better." We all smiled and nodded. Our friends left, taking the girls. Dee and Momiplier stayed a few more minutes, clearly checking the three of us over for themselves, not quite believing Mark and I were really okay. Momiplier ran her hands repeated over Mark's hair, like he was going to disappear if she left. Finally, she leaned down and kissed Mark gently on the forehead, squeezed my hand and rubbed my back, nodded at Jack and followed Dee, who had hugged all three of us goodbye, out the door to help with the toddler wrangling. 

I flopped my head back on the pillows and groaned, feeling exhausted by the small interaction. Mark looked tired too, but our dinner trays arrived just as everyone was leaving, so we ate, all of us quiet as Mark and I struggled to stay awake and Jack watched the two of us like a hawk. I finished my soup and tea, ate about half the watermelon jello I had been given, and asked Jack to remove the tray from my lap. He smiled and took it from me as I laid back down, curling between both men, under the blanket Dee had brought me from home, which I had instantly switched out in place of the hospital ones, which were now piled on top. As soon as I was comfortable, I yawned three times and closed my eyes, falling back into a gentle sleep. I never felt Jack take the tray from Mark as well, the gentle kisses both men placed on my cheeks and forehead, or the two of them curling around me as they two fell asleep, tired from the medicine and pain, in Mark's case, and the stress, exhaustion, and lack of rest at home lately, for Jack. We all were asleep by nine o'clock though, which the nurse commented on when I woke up in the middle of the night, during her rounds. She was checking our vitals when I woke up, asking for a cup of water. She gladly brought me one and helped me drink it. I was asleep again before she even left the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I'm really sorry that so far in this story Mark seems to be the whipping boy for all the bad shit, well most of the bad shit not happening to the reader. I promise to let up soon...  
> ...I think. We'll just have to see, won't we? These stories always tend to jump away from me. And this one is particularly slippery. For some reason, it's not going at all how I planned originally. Everything just keeps happening all at once... Either I need to work on pacing, or just go with it and let the story have control. Hmm.
> 
> Okay, BEFORE I reveal the baby genders, which will be coming up soon, I swear, (I'll probably do a little time skipping just to move things along as Mark recovers and our lovely reader deals with the pregnancy. Nothing major is going to happen for a while, so I might skip ahead to the next doctor's appointment or Felix's birthday. Then probably Halloween -- because I personally love Halloween stuff -- then the baby gender reveal chapter/ next ultrasound and doctor's appointment. At least that's my plan right now.) I need some baby names. I know last time I didn't really go with what was suggested too much, except for Danielle, because of Mark's friend Daniel, but naming 8 babies is going to be tough. Even just giving me an idea for a theme might be helpful at this point (like the Disney princesses last time) And don't forget, I'm going to need 8 first names and 8 middle names, so if I don't choose your suggestion as a first name, you still might have a shot for the middle names. So, let's see what y'all got for me!
> 
> One final note. I may be a bit absent for a while -- I've got an infection and may have to go to the hospital. What that means for my writing at this point I don't know. It could speed up, or slow down radically, depending on how my body handles the healing, antibiotics, and any treatments I have to have. Also, I may be feeling too unwell to respond to comments quickly, but I'll try not to let things slip too much. As of my writing this, I have to sit with my foot up all the time, because of swelling, and got to near daily doctor's appointments for a while. I'm okay, but getting a little cranky from forced inactivity (even compared to my usual levels, which quite frankly aren't much). So, yeah. I'll try to get as much out as I can while I'm stuck not moving though, so maybe this will mean a better update schedule again, at least for a week or two, around doctors visits. 
> 
> See y'all next chapter!


	22. Coming Home Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to get all three of you back home again. Or will something delay someone?

The next morning, after all three of us woke up, the nurses and doctors came in to check on all of us. Jack's blood pressure and heart rate were still dangerously high. Mark's brain scans from the previous night had come back and he had a major concussion with a brain bleed and a lot of swelling. I was actually the healthiest one of all of us, my minor cold, which had wiped me out so thoroughly the day before, almost completely gone already. My temperature was around a hundred degrees without any medications to reduce it and my white blood count, which had concerned the doctors was almost back to normal levels already. I was still a little vitamin deficient and mildly dehydrated, but both of those things were minor concerns at this point. I was even able to go back on solid foods, so I had french toast, a smoothie, and egg whites for breakfast, along with the guys. Jack was watching me closely, but smiled to see me eating and holding the food down well. In fact, when I had woken up this morning, I hadn't even felt the usual morning sickness that made me run for the toilet, or at least not nearly as bad as normal. I was able to battle the urge to vomit away completely. I was still dizzy though, but the new medicine for that was starting to help as well, which is part of why I was able to keep from throwing up. Mark was still in a lot of obvious pain, so I just scooted over as close to him as I could and cuddled into him, reassuring him and comforting him with my presence. He was propped up to eat, with me helping him, when the first group of our friends arrived for the morning visit. Dan was leading the way, followed by Matt, Ryan, Ken, Mary, Bob, Wade, Mandy and Molly. I smiled as they walked in, waving a little at all of them. The smiled at us, looking relieved we were all okay. Dan spoke up first. "Well, this is interesting. [Y/N], you look a lot less sick then yesterday. In fact, you look almost back to normal, except, well, pregnant."

I laughed. "Yeah, I feel a lot better than I did yesterday. Apparently, that cold I had was wiping me out completely. Now Jack, who's being a grouch this morning, and Mark are the ones who need looking after. Jack's blood pressure and heart rate are in the red zone, they are so dangerously high right now. And poor Mark can't do much of anything for himself. His brains scan results finally came back and his concussion is pretty bad, probably about like Jack's was when the box fell on him." I shook my head, a small smile on my face. "So I'm the healthy one. I have a very low fever, am mildly dehydrated, and need some vitamins boosted, but other than that, I'm perfectly healthy, especially considering the pregnancy." Mark made a noise beside me and I turned to look at him. He was frowning. "Babe? Is the pain bad again?"

Mark made a face. "No. But it's not fair."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Mark, are you really whining because I'm listening to the medical advice I've been given and am doing well? Really?"

Mark blushed and looked down. "Well, I was. But I wasn't looking at it like that. Jack and I are supposed to protect you. How can we do that if you are the only one who can get up and leave? I mean, the doctor said as soon as the vitamin boosts kick in and you aren't dehydrated anymore you can go home. It doesn't sound like they are going to let either Jack or I leave for a while."

Jack made a grumpy noise from my other side and I turned my head just in time to see him cross his arms and scowl at the blankets for the millionth time that morning. I sighed. "Guys, just because I can leave doesn't mean I have to. The doctors made that very clear. They told me if I wanted to stay, they could claim I needed observed for longer, due to the relapse of my dehydration and the extreme stress I've been under. Besides, I need to stay healthy, for the sake of these babies, if nothing else, so it was good news that I'm getting better so fast." I rubbed Mark's good knee for a second with one hand and reached out with the other to pull Jack in closer for a quick kiss. "Seriously, stop pouting, both of you. It's not like I'm going to go do something dangerous, even if I do leave. IF I do, it would just be to go home and lay on the couch with the girls cuddled into my sides and our family watching out for me. But I'd probably do better to stay here, at least for a little while, to watch over the two of you and make sure I really am over everything." 

Jack's scowl didn't lessen much, and he still looked like a complete grouch, so I sighed again and looked back at Mark. Mark just looked sad. Wade grinned at the two of them. "Guys, she's right you know. It is good news that she's getting better. Besides, she would have to get one of us to take her home before they would release her, right?" I looked at him, suspiciously. His grin never faltered. "Well, it's not like we would agree to take her. So both of you can just relax. She's as stuck here as you both are at the moment."

Mark smiled a little at that, then caught my expression. "Uh, Wade, buddy, you might want to run. I think you might have just poked the hornet's nest. [Y/N] looks _pissed_." 

Wade looked at me and swallowed, suddenly visibly sweating. When my expression changed to a sweet smile he looked even more worried. Jack laughed. "Yep, she's pissed alright. And she has something planned. Ye can tell because of how innocent she looks now. Ye're a dead man. It was nice knowing ye."

Molly looked at me and winked. "Should I be worried about Wade's continuing well being? What, exactly, do you have planned for him?"

I chuckled softly. "Oh, I have something very specific in mind for that little betrayal. But don't worry. It won't permanently leave any _physical_ damage. I'm not sure about emotional and mental scars though." I chuckled again as Wade looked more worried than ever. "You see Wade, I know how to make revenge last. Mark's going to need all sorts of help with things I can't assist him with, like lifting him in and out of the wheelchair for lots things, like showers and using the bathroom. For months and months, if Jack's recovery is anything to go by. Guess who I'm assigning that to now." I smirked as Wade groaned and blushed. I could see Mark blushing too. 

Molly burst out laughing. "Holy shit. That's perfect. Wade, you're in so much trouble."

Jack was just looking at me, open-mouthed. I grinned at him. "What sweetie? Did you think I was going to try to lift Mark out of the wheelchair all on my own? I'm not dumb. Besides, I'm pregnant and not supposed to be lifting things. And I doubt you, strong as you are, could actually lift him without hurting one or both of you. So Wade just volunteered himself to help." 

Bob was snickering into his hand at the poleaxed expressions of Mark and Wade, and Jack's clear shock. Dan was grinning widely as well, not bothering to hide his amusement, at all. "You know, [y/n], you come up with the best ways to get people back. Especially the ones that get back more than one person at a time. This is why we're friends."

I laughed. "Well, Mark does need the help. And Wade, I'm not actually asking you to bathe Mark. We have a shower seat and Jack and I can handle that part, probably, but you are going to have to lift him in and out of the chair and help him get in and out of clothes sometimes as well as use the toilet if need be. Mark, think of this as the punishment for being such a dummy this week. You said yourself you felt like you needed to plead idiocy for the whole week of actions, so there you go, a babysitter to help you not be an idiot after we get home. Oh, and I'm going to be keeping an eye on things still, so don't think I will let any of you get by with crap just because I'm resting. I'm a mother, so I see all. Ask anyone who works for me, or our daughters."

Jack groaned. "They don't have ta, love. I can set them straight. Ye always know, better than anyone else, what's going on, even when ye aren't in tha room. I swear, ye must have cameras and spies everywhere. Ye really had Mark and I sweating over whether ye knew about our plans for tha engagement and our rings, especially when ye were talking about secrets ta Mary that first day of PAX. We thought ye had figured it all out."

I giggled and leaned over into him. "No, Jack, that really was a surprise. But you know how little gets past me. Now, we just need to figure out how to get your heart and blood pressure back to normal, then we can both start looking after Mark better." I pressed a hand onto his chest, staying close. "You know I need you around just as much as I need Mark, so you need to get things under control too. You scared me with this, Sean. Blood pressure and heart problems are no joke. They can kill you without anyone ever knowing there's a problem." I looked into his bright blue eyes, worry in mine, searching for an answer.

Jack looked down, almost immediately. "Love..." I hugged him before he could continue. He slumped into my arms. "Ye're right. I know ye are. I'm not going ta fight ye about this."

I smiled at him. "Good. Then you can avoid being punished. At least for this, for now. And you know how much I know about heart issues, so you better not argue with me. I'll make your mother come have a talk with you if you argue too much and stop listening to me." I closed my eyes and sighed again. "Thank god that all our parents are here and can help for a while. Even without my pregnancy in the mix, this would be a hell of a tough thing to deal with. Adding in the pregnancy, I highly doubt we could have a hope in hell of staying on top of everything, even with all our friends helping. The girls just need so much watching and round the clock attention and care, I don't think anyone could do enough alone."

Jack lifted his hand and rubbed my back, gently reminding me to stay calm. I opened my eyes and grinned at him, letting him know I was probably calmer than he was right now. He smiled back and shook his head. "Ye're right again lass. About our families helping, and about ye being calmer than me, too. How are ye managing that?"

I leaned up and kissed him gently. "Easy. You and Mark are stuck here with me, forced to lay in bed with me. In fact, I'm allowed to get up, but the two of you aren't. Plus, our friends are here. I'm feeling a lot better and the babies are doing well. The girls are all safe with our parents. Everyone seems happy, except maybe the two of you, because the doctors are forcing you to do what you've both been forcing me to do for weeks now, nothing. So, yeah. I'm calm."

Jack made a grumpy face again, then grinned at me. "Ye're too cute ta stay mad at, even for a minute."

Bob laughed. "Jack, she has a point too. I mean, both of you have basically been restricting her to total bed rest, even when the doctors aren't."

I smiled hugely at Bob. "And this is why you have escaped punishment as well." Everyone laughed except Wade, who was looking a little sour, and Mark, who was blushing again. Jack even chuckled a little. I smiled at Jack again. "It's good to hear you laugh babe. It feels like, with all the stress lately, you and Mark haven't laughed nearly enough in about a month." I leaned my head against Jack's shoulder and kissed the side of his neck, then leaned forward and whispered in his ear. "You're both so sexy when you laugh too. I missed hearing it."

Jack shivered and looked at me. "Stop that. Ye'll get me in trouble."

I grinned. "Yeah, and make your heart race too. Oh well." Jack groaned as I rolled over to Mark and gently kissed him. "Hey babe. How are you doing? Do you need me to get the nurse or doctor to come give you some more pain medicine?"

Mark looked at me for a minute. "No, I'm okay. But you could come over and cuddle me. That would make me feel better. And maybe help me finish eating?"

I nodded and scooted back up the bed, curling into Mark's good side. He smiled and rested his good hand on my baby bump, his whole body relaxing a little more. I smiled at him and fed him the rest of his breakfast as our friends watched and continued talking to the three of us. After Mark had finished eating, Danny came over to his side, really looking him over for the first time since Mark had been hurt. "Dude, you really did a number on yourself this time. And by the way, the shelves in the basement have been bolted to the wall now. What the hell were you trying to do anyway?"

Mark looked embarrassed and a little confused. "Honestly, Danny, I really can't remember. I'm not trying to dodge the question. I just don't remember. Nothing that happened after Matt, Ryan, and I went in the room is clear in my mind, and I can't recall anything at all after we started talking. I just have a vague half-memory of wanting something off the top shelf and not being able to reach it..."

Ryan and Matt both looked embarrassed. Ryan finally spoke up. "Yeah, about that. We can help fill in those blanks, if you really want to know." Mark nodded, carefully. I rested my hand on his chest and leaned against him, having pushed the tray with his breakfast away from the other side of the bed. Ryan took a breath. "Alright, you were trying to show us something a fan had made, a Pop Vinyl figure that they created, but you never said what it was of. You thought you saw it on the back of the top shelf and just started climbing, assuring both of us it would be fine, the shelves could take the weight, you had built them yourself. We did try to stop you. Then one of the shelves broke when you stepped down on it and you swung backwards, bringing the whole unit down on top of you. Honestly, Matt and I were half afraid you were dead after you landed, so we hauled the shelf off you, immediately. We could see you were still breathing though, so we ran out and were met by [y/n] and your mom, Mark, at the bottom of the steps. Your mom took us back upstairs and made us explain everything to the emergency dispatch, but we were so shaky that I don't think we were very clear. We don't really know what happened after that, at least until you guys called your house last night. After we both knew you were okay, we kind of were able to snap out of the mental fog and shock, but before that we were sure you were going to be dead or were dying and we were just falling apart completely." Ryan looked down, guilt and shame clear on his face. "We couldn't handle it, especially when everyone was being so nice to us."

I looked at him closely, then at Matt. They were both avoiding looking at anyone else, the guilt and terror still clear on both of their faces and in their body language. I sat up and scooted down the bed and climbed out, going over to them, and pulling them both in for a hug, surprising them both. "Guys, I don't blame you for this, at all. You got the emergency crew in right away. You witnessed something pretty traumatic. Mark will recover, it's just going to take some time. And he was the one responsible, not you. Honestly, if he couldn't see or reach, he should have either called me to help, gotten the step stool from the next room, or if nothing else, used a chair to look before he tried climbing a shelf. And he and Jack should have bolted the shelf to the wall, like I had already thought they did. If it had been lagged in properly, Mark would still have fallen, but the fall would have done a lot less damage and he wouldn't be so hurt. I suspect he would still have a broken leg and arm, but the ribs and quite possibly the concussion wouldn't be in the mix now. But I'm not even going to be too hard on him about his mistakes either. He and Jack have been under a lot of stress. This was just an accident. They happen, which is why I plan ahead for things as much as I can. Even if he was completely unable to work or even go in to the office for the next two months, his videos would all still be on time, without me having to record him from anywhere else. And I do a lot of his social media, so the fans might never know, unless we tell them, but I fully intend to record him doing a vlog, soon. He needs the community to know, and it's not like a few fans wouldn't notice the difference, even if mostly it slipped by. I don't like lying to people and Mark is still going to be recovering by the end of those two months and need my help recording games, just like Jack did, so I figure as soon as the guys are both home again, I'll help him vlog about what happened and explain the way the videos are going to be recorded for a while. I already got it cleared with Vicki this morning. She and the writers agreed to have all of us cut our roles back a bit, with me falling back to just the occasional appearance for the rest of the season, adding my pregnancy as an element to the show, like last time, which will also explain why Jack is cutting back, besides his VISA issues. Mark's reduced role would also be explained this way, but the accident also excuses him from a lot of it. And even if Mark can't make it in to work for a while, for whatever reason, he can record in his home studio setup. I made sure both guys setups are the same as at work, so it will work just fine. I have setups in both of their home office spaces as well, so I can even edit from right there, and include them, if they want to work from home."

When I finished explaining everything, I let Matt and Ryan go and climbed back in the bed, cuddling up to Mark under the blankets again. I was shivering slightly, and both Jack and Mark noticed, so Mark had me shift even closer into him and Jack scooted over next to me on the other side, snuggling into me. I smiled at both of them, content and happy for the moment. Danny grinned at us again. "You three are so cute together. And [Y/N], that sounds like a really solid plan. Just one question, are you planning to going back to being an editor full time?"

I grinned and shook my head. "Nope. Most of the videos are still going to be sent off to the editing team I oversee, especially Jack's and Mark's editors. But unless I'm really feeling bad, I edit all of their vlogs, and mine. I still have kept the ultimate control over their channels, as far as having the final say over our editors though, with the two of them, of course, and I always arrange the upload order and upload everything myself. I like to know what's going on."

Jack chuckled and rubbed a pattern on my baby bump. "Ye are a control freak and ye know it. It's okay, I always have been too, at least until ye started working with me. Not that ye have tried ta take tha channels from either Mark or I. Ye just swept in and saved me so much time and helped so much, especially after that damn box fell on me, I didn't feel tha need ta keep as close an eye on tha videos. Ye always have made sure they were good quality and up on time." Jack leaned over and kissed me gently. "I love that ye do all these things for me, without thinking about it. Ye honestly swooped in like a superhero and made my life a million times better and so much easier. I'll never be able ta thank ye enough for all that. Then ye swooped in again and stole my heart completely." 

I smiled and rested my head on his shoulder. "Hey, you and Mark stole my heart too. Honestly, I think I was probably half in love with you both before I ever met you in person. And you both made the editing so easy and streamlined. And when you both started wanting to explore more complicated and highly edited content, you helped me find people you trusted to add to your teams. That seemed pretty incredible to me. This whole job has seemed unbelievable in a lot of ways. Hell, I barely recognize my life from before, and I mean that in the best possible way. Before I got hired and came out to California, I was newly single, not by choice, living in a tiny loft, barely socializing, and working way too much in a job I enjoyed, but didn't love. I was alone and lonely most of the time, without the time or energy to spare to go meet new people, not to mention the fact I usually have trouble finding people with similar interests outside of online chat rooms and forums." I could feel Jack shift beside me, drawing me closer to Mark as he moved closer as well, wrapping an arm around both of us. I looked into his face. "You guys really did save me too."

Jack smiled back at me, then leaned forward and kissed my shoulder. "Well, we all saved each other then. I don't think any of us were totally happy with how are lives were, at least parts of it, until we all started working together. I was far lonelier than I wanted ta admit as well. Now, love, ye just rest and cuddle inta me. Mark and I want tha snuggles. Plus, ye help me stay calm and steady me, especially if ye aren't sick or overdoing things."

I nodded and snuggled myself in even closer and then yawned mightily. I looked over at our friends. "Sorry guys. I'm starting to fade on you here. Besides, you've been here a while. You should go ahead and get back to the party. You can update everyone on how we're doing and actually do something fun for a while. Kiss the girls for us, please. Oh, and Danny, has Mom found the wheelchair yet? Mark's definitely going to need it to get out of here when they release him."

Danny grinned at me. "Relax and rest up. You look like you need a nap. Actually, all three of you look tired. We'll get out of your hair and let you sleep. And yes, the wheelchair is waiting by the front door at your house. When we come pick you up, we will bring it. No sense in leaving it here, in the way. We'll see you soon guys. Bye!" Dan waved as he shooed the rest of our friends out, all of them waving as they left. I smiled again and closed mye eyes, drifting off to sleep almost immediately.

\------------------------

The next three days all held a similar pattern. Jack's heart rate came back down, slowly, with medication, but his blood pressure was still dangerously high. Mark was slowly recovering, the swelling in his brain draining his energy and focus to a large degree. I stayed healthy and watched over the two men closely, forcing them to relax by relaxing with them. They cuddled me most of the time, seeming to draw comfort from my presence almost as much as I was getting from them. Plus they helped me with the chill I had most of the time. I was burying myself under all the blankets I could and still felt chilly unless I had someone else to curl up with. Neither man minded helping me though, and repeatedly told me that. They spent most of the time either napping with me, snuggling and watching mindless TV, checking social media, or talking to the babies. In fact, they were spending so much time talking to my stomach, or rubbing it, patting it, and just touching it, I was starting to get slightly exasperated. Finally, I had enough. "Guys, please. I know you are both super excited for the babies, but please remember, they are attached to me. You've been a little too..." I paused trying to think of a word. "...enthusiastic. You always have a hand on my belly or are talking to the babies. I don't mind too much, usually, but you've even whined at me when I had to get up to go to the bathroom the last few times. And I highly appreciate the snuggles and helping to keep me warm, don't get me wrong. I just need a little space every once in a while."

Mark and Jack both blushed. Jack spoke up for both of them. "Lass, we didn't mean ta do that. It's just... ye're really starting ta show and we're so excited we can barely contain ourselves. Tha babies might have seemed real ta ye before yer bump really popped out the last couple o' days, but it was still harder for Mark and I ta think of it as real, even with as sick as ye have been. And with ye feeling so much better, we don't feel as guilty, meaning we're just excited and happy, mostly."

Mark lifted his hand from my stomach to my shoulder and gently squeezed it. "Babe, Jack's right. You're doing so much better, we're just so excited, especially since you're staying here in bed with us, trying to look after us. We can back off though. We don't want you to feel trapped."

I smiled at him and leaned over for a kiss. "Thank you sweetheart. I know you don't mean to make me crazy, but I just had to say something." I sighed and leaned into Mark's side and turned back to face Jack. "I love you both, a whole lot, but lately you have both been making me a little insane." I shook my head a little, a small rueful smile playing across my face. "Damn it guys, the first time around you were clingy too, but in a different way. I finally feel like I got you to listen to me about things and now you decide to find a new way to make me uncomfortable. I know you are doing this because you love me and the babies, but seriously, this is going to be a long pregnancy for all of us. Pace yourselves."

Jack blushed and I'm sure Mark did as well, but I was leaned against him in a way I couldn't see. I did feel him softly tighten his grip on my shoulder again and lean forward, placing a kiss beside his hand. Jack leaned forward and kissed me, a sweet and soft kiss, mostly just an acknowledgement of what I said and an agreement as well as an expression of love. When he sat back, I smiled and closed my eyes, just soaking in the peace and quiet around us again. We all stayed like that, lost in our thoughts until a nurse and the doctor came back in. The doctor looked over our charts and smiled. "Well folks, it looks like the three of you are just about ready to leave. Mr. Fischbach, your brain swelling is down to nearly normal levels, and should be completely down by morning. You can be released anytime now. Your family here will be given a list of symptoms to watch for and you will need to take it easy for a while, but you're going to make a full recovery. Ms. [Y/L/N], you've been free to go anytime over the last two days. I know we are keeping you to help manage your stress levels and dehydration issues, but I'm also sure you are going to want to leave with these two gentlemen. Is that correct?" I nodded, smiling. He smiled back and turned to Jack. "Mr. McLoughlin, your heart rate is still a little higher than we would like and your blood pressure is still high, but both are starting to respond to the medications we have been giving you. You will need to schedule a follow-up with a cardiologist and your regular doctor, but we can release you anytime after it gets into the right range."

The nurse smiled and held up the blood pressure cuff, clearly asking if she should go ahead and take his blood pressure now. The doctor nodded and made some notes on his tablet while the nurse worked. She smiled and took all of our blood pressure and heart rate readings one more time. Mark's was good, one hundred eighteen over eighty one, and ninety six beats per minute. Mine was again excellent at one hundred twelve over seventy four and ninety eight beats per minute. Jack's was the reading we were all concerned about, but when the nurse read it out, we all sighed with relief. It was out of the danger zone, but still high at one forty three over eighty seven and one hundred eight beats per minute, but that was a lot better than his numbers had been up until now. I smiled and hugged Jack close after his number was read out, excited for him. He made a face at me for a few seconds, then grinned. "Love, calm down. Those still aren't good numbers, but I'm happy ta see they are finally getting better."

I nodded, pulling his face over to mine for a gentle kiss. I rested my forehead against his after we separated. "I know, but they are a lot better then they were. And you seem to be calmer now too." I looked into his eyes and smiled for a minute. "Babe, no horror or rage games for a bit for you. Either one could cause you some serious problems until we get you totally back to normal and figure out why your blood pressure got so bad in the first place. I know there has been an enormous amount of stress on you, but even so, you shouldn't have had this reaction or if you did, you shouldn't have had the problem last this long." I rested my head on Jack's shoulder and put a hand on his chest again. "I can't stand the thought of you having any heart trouble after my experiences. So we are going to get you in to see my cardiologist right away." Jack made a face at me. I smirked. "Don't argue, Jackaboy, unless you want my wrath to rain down on you. I also might just go get Dr. McBrady to come haul you off for testing."

Jack blushed. "Why are ye picking on me? I'm doing better!"

I raised an eyebrow. "Maybe, but you're not completely well yet either. And Dr. McBrady texts me periodically, to check in on me and get updates about the girls. She really likes them, and now she's a fan of my channel. So she's been following my progress that way too. And don't whine at me. You know it doesn't work on me."

Jack's face was a picture of embarrassment. Mark laughed. "Jack, dude, you know she's right. My whining doesn't work any better."

I turned to look at him. "Nope. And if I find out that either of the two of you are giving in to our daughters when they whine, you will be severely punished. I will not tolerate whining or temper tantrums from my family." I looked back at Jack. "I love you both, but I learned from the best. My mom had several very effective ways of dealing with whiners. So don't think I'll go easy on you, or cave, just because I love you and am worried about you both."

Jack hugged me. "Love, ye are doing an amazing job of raising tha girls. Yer mom, awesome as she is, isn't tha best, ye are. And all four of our daughters love ye ta bits. I'll stop whining." He blew out a sigh. "It never worked on Ma or Pa either, just my siblings."

I grinned. "Ha. Eddie and Darrell may have tried that once or twice, but it never worked at all. I just sent them to whinyland."

Both men blinked at me. "What tha fook is 'Whinyland?' "

I grinned. "One of Mom's inventions. Basically, it's a timeout for the person whining. Whoever was whining had to go sit, alone, away from whatever fun was going on until they stopped whining. And they had to ask to be let out with no trace of whining in their voice before they were allowed back in the room with other people. When we were little, it was the crib or playpen, or our bed, with no toys. If that wasn't an option, we had to sit in the corner, or on the stairs, and watch everyone else having fun until we could get under control again. Needless to say, it worked very well and none of us whined about things by the time we were older than four. At least not enough to get banished to whinyland. I fully intend to use the same treatment on the girls, if they start whining about things or for treats. Oh, and if we whined, we never got whatever we were whining to get either."

Jack shook his head at me. Mark just looked surprised. "Well, that's pretty impressive. Not that the girls seem to be whiners."

I nodded, still grinning. "Yeah, even before Mom came up with this system, I wasn't really much of a whiner. I just tried to convince her I was right about everything instead. I argued with her." I blushed slightly. "I was probably too smart for my own good, if I'm honest."

Mark grinned and reached out for me with his good arm. I cuddled into his side, being careful of his injuries. He kissed my shoulder and rested his chin on it before speaking again. "You're amazing babe. And I always knew you were really smart. I mean, really, really smart. The girls definitely get that from you."

I relaxed into Mark a little more, smiling happily. "Hey, you and Jack are plenty smart too. I just hope the girls have a little more focus than I did as a kid. I was kind of the poster child for ADHD."

Jack grinned at me now. "Yeah, well, we know they are little balls of energy, We'll just have ta help them manage as best we can."

I nodded. "Yeah. Hopefully without medication though. I really don't like that idea unless we have to go there. I always managed without it, except allergy medicine, which for some reason helped a lot." The nurse cleared her throat behind us, making us all realize we weren't alone in the room. I looked over at her. "I'm sorry. We weren't trying to be rude. What do you need us to do?"

The nurse smiled. "Actually, after I read the blood pressure and heart rate numbers, the doctor signed off on releasing all three of you. You'll need to get a blood pressure and heart monitor for Mr. McLoughlin, but you can all go home as soon as you can arrange someone to come get you."

I smiled, a thankful smile. "Oh, that's wonderful news. Thank you so much! We'll call and get that arranged right away." Jack grinned at me. Mark just nodded a little and thanked the nurse as well. Jack dialed the house and got Mom, explaining everything. She promised to get things in motion from there and not to worry, someone would be there soon with the wheelchair. I smiled as Jack hung up the call. "Well, this wasn't really that bad. If we had to compare it to any of our previous hospital stays, except the very fast visit while we were in Seattle or the one while we were at your parents house Jack, it was probably the fastest and easiest on all of us. But you mister" I pointed at Jack with a finger "are going to take it easy and get that heart monitor hooked up before we even leave the hospital. We all know how they work, so you have no excuses." I pulled my phone out and texted Mom, asking her to bring the monitor I had used before, when I had been pregnant last time and needed round the clock monitoring. She sent back a thumbs up emoji and a winky face, so I stashed my phone in my pocket again and leaned over, swiftly kissing both men, who were scowling slightly. I had gotten dressed in street clothes this morning, in hopes all three of us would be leaving, and both of the had been shooting me dirty looks all day. I grinned at them both. "Oh, stop being such grumpy butts. We're going home, to be taken care of by our friends and family and see the girls, who I'm sure have been missing their Papa and Daddy, just like they have been missing Momma. Everyone is healthy, or at least enough so to be released." 

Jack made a grouchy noise, making me giggle a little. "Are ye laughing at me, now? Lass, how could ye?"

I snorted. "Sean, I love you. You know that. So kindly stop acting like a spoiled brat just because I'm making you listen to the doctors. If the two of you give me too much crap, I'll just go call myself a cab and go home. You can figure the rest of this out without me." I raised an eyebrow at both of them. "And don't think I'll send anyone in to get you. I can text them to just leave you here until you can both act like the sweet men I love, not petulant children. I swear, you're both acting out more than the girls ever do. And they're not even two yet."

I heard a laugh from the doorway behind me and turned. It was Dr. MacBrady, grinning hugely. I grinned back at her. "Oh, I can see ye keep tha lads well in hand, lass. Good on ye. I can definitely see why yer followers on Twitter keep trending tha hashtag Mommypants about ye. What's got tha two of them so out of sorts?" Before I could answer she looked at me again. "And I can see ye are expecting again. I knew ye vlogged about it not long ago, but ye look a load more pregnant then ye did then. Ye look happy and healthy."

I grinned. "That's why they are being such whiners. Mark had an accident, and we all had to be checked in, for one reason or another. Jack's having some heart issues and had extremely high blood pressure, which has only just started to come down to acceptable ranges. Mark has a severely broken leg, broken arm, several broken ribs, and bad concussion. I was slightly dehydrated and the doctors were worried about my stress levels, because of the pregnancy, but I have everything well in hand. I had a small cold when I was admitted which was throwing all my levels off, but it was short lived and since I've been healthy again, the two of them keep pouting or scowling at me." I shook my head again, looking mildly amused. "They are being so over the top protective, and I'm getting a bit sick of it." I turned a genuine smile at her now. "It's good to see you again, under better circumstances though."

Jack's arms were still crossed over his chest and he looked mutinous. "Better for ye. Not for me. Did ye call her in here ta talk ta me?"

Dr. MacBrady laughed. "No, laddie, not yet, she didn't. Does she need ta?"

I grinned at her again. "Maybe. I already threatened him with that a little while ago, if he refused to cooperate with the doctors."

She grinned. "Well, I might just have ta take a look then. See what ye're dealing with and maybe give ye some advice." Jack groaned and I giggled. Dr. MacBrady went over to the computer and pulled up Jack's chart. She looked it over, a thoughtful look on her face. "After looking this over, I have ta say, something does seem out of order. Ye need ta go for more testing. Do ye want me ta look at ye, or are ye going ta go ta a standard cardiologist?"

Jack was muttering darkly now, but I ignored him. "I'm setting him up to see my cardiologist. I have an appointment for a standard checkup in a few weeks, but I think I'm going to switch it and make him get seen then. My heart seems to be in good shape, and it's just routine monitoring because of these little beans." I rubbed my belly, smiling down at it. I looked back up at Dr. MacBrady. "I can't believe we're pregnant again. And thanks for looking over Jack's chart. I appreciate the extra set of eyes, especially friendly and familiar ones."

Dr. MacBrady nodded. "Of course lass. And I did tell ye ta call me Siobhan. We talk often enough online and over chat."

I nodded, blushing slightly. "Sorry. I just wasn't sure if it was okay, since you were at work. You've been a big help making me feel better whenever we talk. I really need to invite you over to the house one of these days so you can meet all the rest of our family and visit with the girls a little. They might drag you into a princess party and tea time though, fair warning."

Siobhan smiled. "Yer lasses are sweet. And I have nieces who are just a bit older than yer girls, who all do tha same thing when I visit. Ta tell ye tha truth, I miss them."

I smiled again. "Well the girls can certainly cure that. And you are welcome to stop by anytime! We have a full house right now, with all our parent staying, but we have a very large house, so no one is cramped." I sighed and reached over to Jack, touching his shoulder. "Sweetie, why don't you go get dressed. Then we can call the nurse on duty to come help Mark get changed so we're ready when Mom and Danny get here with the wheelchair. Oh, and Wade. Mom texted me she was going to bring him. She liked my revenge plan too."

Dr. MacBrady raised an eyebrow. "What's this now? Revenge for what?"

I chuckled. "Well, actually, it's a funny story. When Mark got hurt, he was being dumb and didn't do something I asked him to. And then when our friend Wade came to visit after it happened he said something out of line. I got mad, but instead of making a big deal of it, I just made a plan that solved one of our problems and fixed both of them. I'm making him lift Mark in and out of the wheelchair at home and do the things we can't physically manage, like changing him out of his clothes to shower or helping him use the bathroom. I mean, I'm not supposed to be lifting anything heavy, so I can't hold Mark up, and Jack would hurt himself trying, I'm sure. I know he's strong, but Mark weighs more than he does, and has more muscle, so that's out. Wade can manage, especially if we help." I smirked a little. "And if they are both slightly traumatized, well, maybe next time they will remember not to taunt me or to listen when I tell them to do something, for safety. Our friends had all already volunteered to help care for Mark, so I just told Wade what he was going to get to do. Both of them were properly horrified." Jack grinned at me, looking amused and happy for the first time all day. Dr. MacBrady laughed. Mark was blushing again. I scooted over and kissed him on the cheek. "Come on sweetheart. You know I'm not able to do this right now. And besides, you both earned a little punishment. It's not going to be forever anyway."

Mark closed his eyes and nodded. Then he suddenly groaned. "Babe? When was Tyler supposed to be getting out here? I know you wrote the day down for me, but I forgot. He's going to need a place to stay when he gets here too, at least until he can find his won place."

I raised an eyebrow at Mark. "He gets here Wednesday, so tomorrow. And I already told him he could stay with us. He agreed, but told me he was going to be helping around the house as much as he could, to make up for it. Maybe he can help when Wade isn't around. Between the two of them, I bet they can manage to cover all day, everyday for a while. And honestly, Jack and I will be helping you with plenty too. And we will be bathing you, we just need help getting you in the shower onto the bath seat." I kissed Mark's cheek. "It's not like either Jack or I mind. We'll just have to make sure to keep the casts dry." I ran my eyes up to Mark's hair, which was starting to look a little rough. "Sweetie, I think we either need to get you in for another dye job, or let your real color grow back out. You're looking kind of wild and faded. Do you want to redye it red, or go back to a more natural color for a while?"

Mark looked at me, smiling a bit. "How about we cut it a bit shorter and get it back to my natural color. As much as I loved the red, it's time to let it go. I can always go back to it later, if I want. The dyed hair is hard to manage as it is, and with the cast, it's going to be a monster to manage."

I nodded. Jack grinned at me. "Love, I'm going ta keep tha green. But I need ta get my hair redone too. Should we plan on making a day of it soon?"

I sighed and looked at my own hair. The streaks of color were fairly fresh and vibrant in my own hair, since I had had a fresh dye job just before the girls fell sick prior to PAX. "I think I'm good. Besides, I need to check with the doctors about redying my hair while I'm pregnant. Normally, I wouldn't worry, but with eight babies to watch out for, I'm being extra careful."

Dr. MacBrady chuckled softly. "Lass, ye'll be fine. Besides, there are special dyes ye can have done that are perfectly safe. But if ye are worried, just let tha dye go or use non-chemical temporary dyes. Like ye did for yer daughters for their birthday. Those were adorable pictures by tha way. I wish I could have made it in person ta see them."

I smiled. "Maybe next time. If we even can manage a party this year. God, I'm going to be so pregnant by then, I might not be able to do one." I sighed and rubbed my tummy. "I'm only about eleven weeks now, so I'll be about seven months along at that point, but I'm sure I'll be very uncomfortable and on bed rest by then." I sighed. "Unless somethig happens and the babies are really early. I'm kind of scared about that happening. I'm being super, over cautious as it is, but even so, with eight of them..."

Dr. MacBrady nodded. "Ye'll do fine lass. Ye listen ta all tha medical advice ye get and make careful, well-informed decisions. It's not like ye are a risk taker with yer health. And ye are in good health now. I looked at yer chart when I heard ye were here a little while ago." She smiled bigger. "Ye'll be a rock star, like always. Now, ye lads best listen ta her. [Y/N], I'll call ye later ta see how ye all get settled and set up a time ta come see those lasses of yers. Bye folks!"

"Bye, Dr. MacBrady." Both men chorused at the same time.

I smiled. "Bye Siobhan. Like I said before, stop by any time. I'll text you the address, if you need it. I can't remember if I sent it to you or not already." I tried to remember, but my brain felt foggy. "Damn pregnancy brain."

Jack chuckled and leaned over, kissing me softly, then slipped out to the bathroom, taking the clean clothes Dan had brought in for him the other day. Dan had brought clothes for all of us and taken the clothes we came to the hospital in home to be washed on one of his visits over the last couple of days. Mark sighed and I turned to look at him, scooting over as close to him as I could. He immediately reached for me and drew me into his side, hugging me close and rubbing my baby bump again. "Thanks babe. You've been looking after us so well, and taking care of yourself, but I'm still worried about you. I worry less when you are here, in my arms. Or arm anyway."

I leaned forward and kissed him gently, closing my eyes for a minute and just resting my head on his cheek afterward. "I know Mark. But you need to let me have a little space sometimes too. I'm trying to balance everything. And I'm trying not to let the hormone express knock me flat on my ass and steamroll you and Jack, but it's been a closer thing than I wanted to admit several times lately. Can you please just try a little harder to reign it in? I'm really afraid I'll snap and hurt one of you without meaning it."

I opened my eyes just in time to see him nod. "Yeah, babe. I'll definitely try. You've been so steady and careful, but even Jack and I can see how much you're trying and we've been clinging to you. To tell you the truth, we're afraid for you. We're afraid if we back off, you'll suddenly start doing things you shouldn't, or something will go wrong, or you'll stop asking for help and try to just do everything alone. We were talking about this earlier, while you napped. We both agreed to try harder and just trust you more. We love you and know you wants what's best for everyone. And we do trust you."

I nodded and leaned against Mark again, carefully. "I know. And I know this is hard for the two of you, watching me struggle and be unwell. But, in case the two of you missed it, the morning sickness and dizziness are so much better under control with these new pills. I can actually function again, wiithout throwing up all the time. In fact, since I've been here at the hospital, other than throwing up from the cold I had, or flu, whatever, I have only thrown up twice. And I've hardly been dizzy at al, as long as I move fairly slowly. I can't go chasing after the girls right now, but as long as I just do normal things, I'll be fine." I smiled a lopsided grin at Mark. "Same as you for a while babe. Remember, even though the worst of the swelling is gone, the doctors said you are going to need more sleep and be dizzy for a few weeks." I thought for a minute, then smiled, surprising Mark. He raised an eyebrow. "We are both going to be getting over the dizziness at about the same time I think sweetie. I'll be in the second trimester soon, and the dizzy and sick stage should ease up by the end of October, if not sooner. Actually, by the end of October, I'll probably be way past over that part and might even be able to feel the babies moving." My hand went to my swelling abdomen, rubbing softly as I smiled a misty eyed smile. "It won't be long after that before we can see the genders of our little beans. Oh Mark, I'm so excited about all this. I can't believe it."

Mark reached over with his bad hand and squeezed my hand gently, his other hand was still on the babies, and he had a dreamy smile on his face too. Jack chose this moment to emerge, fully dressed, from the bathroom. He smiled happily at the two of us. "Ye lot look happy. Are ye talking about tha babies?" I nodded, looking over at him. Jack looked a lot less strained then he had for a long while, the tension in his face and shoulders gone, at least for the moment. I moved gently away from Mark and went to Jack, leaning on him and hugging him. He leaned into me and I could feel his whole body just relax a little further. I kissed him softly and closed my eyes, my head on his shoulder. "Love, ye look wonderful. And ye are so warm and soft, I could stay like this with ye forever, but we need ta call tha nurse ta come get Mark ready and get tha instructions for what we need ta do ta help him at home."

I nodded and pressed the call button on the wall behind him. Then I looked into Jack's deep blue eyes and smiled. "We need to see what we have to do to take care of you too Sean. I suspect you are going to have to cut salt way back for a while and probably no bacon for a little while."

Jack frowned momentarily, but didn't say anything. I softened the news with another kiss. He looked slightly stunned when I pulled back this time. I smiled sweetly. Mark laughed. "You're cheating again babe. You know Jack and I can't argue with you when you fry our brains by kissing us." I looked at him and winked. He blushed. "Okay, or even just look at me that way. God, the things you do to my brain..."

I chuckled throatily. Jack growled in my ear. I looked back at him. He had a look I knew well in his eye. He was highly turned on, and frustrated because he couldn't do anything about it at the moment. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him again, a kiss full of emotion, not heat. He sighed when we broke apart. "Thank ye lass. That was perfect. I love ye."

I smiled at him. "I love you too, Jack. And I'm not trying to frustrate you. You do need to calm down though. Mom will be here in a few minutes, with Danny and Wade. I doubt you want to be sporting that much of a boner when they walk in."

Jack blushed. "I had hoped ye would miss that."

I shook my head. "Not when your little friend is poking my hip so insistently." I smiled, slightly ruefully. "We'll have to make sure your heart and blood pressure can handle sex before we leave, yeah?" Jack's blush brightened and he groaned as he tried to bury his head in my shoulder. I smiled and patted his back, silently trying to calm him. Mark chuckled. I looked over at him and raised an eyebrow. "Listen, Markimoo, you're kind of in the same boat. We're going to have to get very creative and be very careful about any sex with you too, because of your ribs. So don't laugh at Jack." I suddenly realized somethings and smiled wolfishly. Both men were blushing but blinked at me, looking a little nervous. "Looks like I'll have to be the one to be in control for a while."

Jack kissed the side of my neck, teasing me slightly, trying to get a response from me. I raised an eyebrow at him and just looked at him, deadpan expression on my face. He kissed my throat again, slightly licking my skin and I growled, making him shiver. Then the nurse walked in. Jack blushed brightly as the nurse, Ben, who had been here the first day we were here, winked at me. "Um, Jack, you might need to hold off on trying to eat your girlfriend here at the hospital. You are all on your way home, so you can play with her later, if she wants, that is."

I laughed as Jack groaned again and tried to hide behind me. "Thanks Ben. Now, we need to have someone help Mark get dressed and get our discharge instructions so I know what I have to do to keep these two in line. Can you help?"

Ben nodded. "Here you go. Discharge instructions for all three of you. Nothings special for you, you're already doing everything you need to. Jack needs to adjust his diet, see a cardiologist within the next couple of weeks, and comtinue his medications as directed. Mark has a lot more restrictions, but I suspect you already knew that and may already know most of them. I'll let you read over them while I help him get dressed." He stepped over to Mark's side. "So big guy, you ready to get out of that hospital gown and into some real clothes? I'll be gentle, I promise. Jack, can you come help me, maybe? I think Mark might prefer you putting his boxers on him, at the very least."

Jack stepped over to assist while I sat down and read over the list of instructions for helping Mark. Nothing too surprising here. No lifting anything, he had to use a wheelchair until the arm cast and leg casts were both off and he was cleared by physical therapy, probably at least six months. Nothing to strain his ribs. Things to watch for with his lungs, to make sure his broken ribs didn't shift and accidentally collapse a lung or something. I read the paper three times, then moved on to Jack's paper. Pretty much exactly what I had thought. Neither paper mentioned sex, anywhere on them, so I made a mental note to ask Ben to get a doctor for a few final questions before we left. Ben coughed slightly, drawing my attention when he had finished helping Mark and gotten him back into the bed, sitting up. I looked up and smiled. "Thanks Ben. Now, can you send in one of our doctors to answer the last few questions I have before we head out?"

Ben smiled, nodded, and wished us all goodbye. The doctor came in in less than three minutes. He smiled at us all. "So, what questions did you have for us? The floor nurse mentioned you had a few."

I nodded. "Most of this was fairly clear, but I have a few things not on these instruction sheets." I swallowed, suddenly nervous. "Can... Can the guys still have sex, if we ae exceptionally careful? I mean, Mark won't be able to move around a lot, I know, but is there anything we need to do, or not do? And is Jack's heart safe enough for sex?"

The doctor blinked, surprised. Both Jack and Mark were staring at the floor, faces redder than Mark's favorite lucky flannel. The doctor looked over at them and chuckled suddenly. "Okay, wow. Yeah, we didn't list anything about sex on those papers because, quite frankly, we kind of thought you might not... Uh, nevermind. As long as you are very, very careful and do all the 'heavy lifting' so to speak with Mark, it should be fine. Jack's okay, as long as his heart rate doesn't spike too high, so watch the monitor. If his pulse gets thready or irregular, stop immediately and seek out medical treatment. You know what to avoid for your own safety and the babies, I'm assuming?" I smiled and nodded, meeting the doctor's gaze unflinchingly. He chuckled. "Well, good luck then. Any other questions? Oh, and when Jack has the appointment with a cardiologist, they can tell you more about any restrictions or things to avoid.with him."

I thought for a minute. "I think that covers it. Thank you."

The doctor smiled, shook my hand and left. Jack and Mark were both still scarlet and staring only at the floor. Jack finally looked at me and in a hoarse whisper, asked me what was on his mind. "How can ye just be so calm, asking about sex?"

I giggled and patted my baby bump. "I think people know we've had sex guys. Being parents and being pregnant are kind of indicators that we are sexually active, you know? Besides, that's one of the less embarrassing things I've had to talk to doctors about lately." I sighed. "Remember, Dr. Sara always asks me a lot more embarrassing things, including things like how well I'm pooping and if my breasts are leaking anything or overly tender, then she pokes and prods at me in rather intimate places. Asking if you two are healthy enough for sex isn't exactly something that would make me blush after that. Besides, I think it amused the doctor more than anything."

The door suddenly swung open next to me and Mom, Danny, Wade, and Momiplier were all crowding in the room, looking determined. I grinned when they looked confused, not seeing me, now sitting directly behind all of them. Mom pushed the wheelchair all the way in the room and looked around. She blinked when she finally spotted me. I pushed the nurse call button again and two nurses came in, pushing two more wheelchairs for Jack and I, and we were given the last of the paperwork to sign, a few prescriptions for Jack and Mark to have filled, and everyone was loaded into the wheelchairs. Momiplier pushed Mark out, being extra careful of the walls. Mom was wheeling Jack. Wade was talking to the two of them as we headed down the hall and Danny was pushing me. I sighed and got settled in the seat. Before I knew it, we were all getting in the car, Mark settling in the seat between Jack and I, his leg propped on Momiplier's lap. Mom was sitting on the other rear seat of the minivan we were riding home in with Danny and Wade in the front. Wade ran in the prescriptions, but Mark, Jack and I were almost lulled to sleep by then. Mom started humming while we waited and soon all three of us were sound asleep, leaning on each other, safely with friends and family and finally on the way back home to everyone else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back, bitches! Sort of. Updates are still going to be slow for a while as I can only see out of one eye right now and am still coping with my father's death, but I need to get back into writing, so have a fresh, shiny, new chapter! 
> 
> PS- BTW, sorry for the long delay between the last chapter, which was more of a cliffhanger than I thought I would be leaving, and this one. So, yeah, I had to go back and reread my own work, just to try to remember what was going on. XD Hopefully, there won't be such a long delay, but who knows. The terrible thing about rereading my own stuff, is now I see all the editing errors, typos, and bad sentences I had going on. -_- Forgive me. I am probably going to feel compelled to go on an editing spree and fix everything up to now too.
> 
> One final note -- Jack and Mark are both about to reach subscriber milestones, so everybody party!


	23. Mark's vlog

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We record a vlog explaining the recent events and the changes that are happening.

After we got home that afternoon, the girls refused to let us out of their sight, even to the point of crying out for us in the middle of the night several times, for more than a week. We explained that Papa hurt himself, so they had to be extra gentle with him, but one or more of them could be seen either sitting on his lap cuddled close, or playing by his feet almost constantly. The only time they left him and Jack alone was when they were snuggling me, usually on the couch. I managed to restore nap times, which had become quite problematic, to some semblance of normal by letting them curl up on me, same as I had the first day of the party. Stephanie and Samantha were being particularly clingy to me, while Danielle was clinging to Jack almost constantly and Tiana was permanently stuck by Mark's side. We all sighed and let them cling, just trying to reassure them that we were okay, nothing bad was going to happen if they let us out of their sight, and that everybody was really not going away. Stephanie was the first one to go back to normal, even if she was still somewhat more attached than before. After a week, she would venture back into the playroom to play with the toys, but made frequent trips back out to see if we were still in the living room. Mark and I were sticking to the two couches in the living room, allowing the family to take care of us from one central location. And of course Jack was sticking close by, tending to us as much as we would let him. I was on his case, making him rest and relax with us, almost as much as he was on me about trying to do too much now that we were out of the hospital again. At the end of that first week back home, I decided it was time to vlog about the accident to our fans. 

On Friday afternoon I set u the camera, pointed at the couch where Mark was sitting, his foot propped up on the back of one of our beanbags, his cast, originally a bright green, now covered in scribbles and 'art' the girls had drawn and even a few doodles that Jack and I hadn't been able to resist drawing, was in full view. His sling and arm were resting on the arm of the couch, helping keep the weight off his neck and stabilizing his ribs and arm further. He smiled as he watched me get us all set up. "Okay Mark. Vlogging time. Do you want me in the vlog with you, or do you want to do this as a solo vlog?"

Mark grinned. "Everybody can pile in. The girls would be hard to chase off anyway, and I want you to cuddle in next to me. Jack too, if he doesn't mind." Jack grinned as we got settled. He had sat down right next to Mark and put me in his lap.

I laughed a little and curled into both men, sharing the snuggles between them. The girls played at our feet ignoring the camera and us for the moment. Jack leaned over and rested his head on Mark's shoulder, smiling and relaxed. I grinned and winked at him. "You're going to start the Septiplier shippers up if I start recording with you sitting like that. Not that they have been anything but supportive of me being with both of you. If anything, they seem to think I'm what keeps their hopes alive."

Jack laughed. "Well, without ye, they really wouldn't have a ship, would they now lass? Ye made us realize how we felt after all."

I giggled. "I know. But it's still kind of funny to see them get all confused when you both use me as a human shield for their attention. I am sure a lot of them have figured it out by now. I don't think it was that secret to start with. But I don't mind deflecting, distracting, and protecting you from things." I turned around and kissed Jack, then leaned forward and kissed Mark. "You both protect me as much as you can too."

Mark made a small noise. I looked at him, eyebrow raised. "Sorry. I just feel like... Well, while I'm injured, I can't protect you as much as I need, or want, to. It just sucks."

I leaned into his chest and gently patted my hand there as well. "Mark, babe, you do so much for me it's incredible. And I love you whether or not you are in shining armor or in bashed-in, rusted, busted armor. You're my knight no matter what. You make me feel better, no matter what. And you comfort me when I feel bad. You hold me when I'm feeling sick. You keep me warm and safe. And your love is clear for all to see, same as Jack's for me." I looked at Jack. "Sean, you do all those things for me too, don't think I don't know. This has just been a rough month for all of us. But a lot of good has happened too, so let's not focus on the bad. Think of the good, the babies, the engagement and promise we made each other, how well the videos have been doing lately, and how accommodating work has been." I cuddled into both of them a little closer. "Now, let's record this vlog. Mark, I want to put it on all three channels, but if you don't want me too, just tell me. I know we have a lot of people who follow all three of us, but not everyone does. I want to talk about more than just your injuries too."

Mark nodded slowly. "It's fine with me, but what did you have in mind?"

I smiled at him. "I want to do another baby bump update again. And I want to tell the fans about Jack's issues with his blood pressure to explain why there will be less or no horror games for a little while and probably less rage games, at least until we can get all this figured out."

It was Jack's turn to make a unhappy noise. I raised an eyebrow his way this time. "Ye don't have ta baby me, love. I know what I can handle."

I sat up and crossed my arms. "No. Not on this. This is your heart Sean. You are going to do exactly what I say on this or there will be SEVERE consequences."

All four girls, who had been playing by our feet, looked up. Jack shivered slightly under my steely gaze. Sam came over and climbed up next to Jack's side, pulling on his sleeve to get his attention. "Daddy, wisten ta Momma. She's reawy smart and knows what ta do ta help ye get better. Right Momma?"

I smiled at her. "Absolutely right, Sammigirl. Now, give Momma a kiss and go play with your sisters, sweet pea." Sammi grinned and kissed my cheek, standing on the couch long enough to reach me, then climbed down like the little monkey she usually was and grabbed her toy up again. All four girls were playing quietly again now. Jack looked slightly embarrassed and still grumpy, so I leaned over and gave him a quick kiss and whispered comment. "Hey, I love you, even if you are being a pain in the ass about this. You know I'm just protecting you, from yourself this time, because you can't seem to realize how scary this really is for the rest of us." I locked eyes with Jack, my hand stroking his cheek. "Do you know what it would do to the rest of us if something happened to you?"

Jack paled and went still, his face getting serious. "Shit. Ye fight dirty." I nodded. "Ye win. Until tha doctors clear me, no more ragers or horror games, either for tha channel or for fun."

I smiled at him, my expression making him relax into me. "Thank you. I really don't think I could handle losing you, especially now." I picked up his wrist and rested his hand on my baby belly, placing my own hand next to it. "We need you. All fourteen of us."

Jack blinked at me. "Holy shit. Fourteen people. I have fourteen people in my family."

I nodded. "Yeah. And our parents. And my brothers and their families. And Mark's brother and his family. And your brothers and sisters and their families." I rested my head on Jack's shoulder for a minute. "A lot of people love you, Sean. And we all need you, safe and healthy. Just like you need me safe and healthy. So stop fighting me, especially if you want me to listen to you about my own health stuff."

Mark's quiet chuckle drew both our attention. I looked at him, shifting slightly in Jack's arms. He was grinning hugely. "Jackaboy, she has us dead to rights. We can't make her listen to us if we don't listen to her and we can't make her follow the doctors orders if we don't do the same thing." He chuckled again. "It's still cheating, babe, even if you are right."

I gave him a slow look. "I never said I play fair. Haven't you figured that out by now? I mean, what about the time I ended the prank war you tried to start? Or the way I greeted you after the first season of filming the show wrapped up?" I gave him a slightly evil grin. "But I really don't think either of you minded how those things eventually turned out. I just had to remind you who was in charge. Something you both occasionally forget."

Both men blushed and grinned. Jack leaned forward and kissed me again. "So ye think yer in charge of me?"

I looked at him again and nodded. "I know I am. Do you need a reminder?" Jack's blush brightened, but he just grinned. I gave him a look that clearly told him he was asking for this and I leaned in and kissed him, slow, long, hot, and passionately. I could feel his interest suddenly growing, but I didn't break the kiss for a long moment. When I did and sat back, he squirmed slightly, trying to shift my position a little in his lap. I obliged, shifting my weight, but went the wrong way to help him, instead grinding in his lap a little. He went still and shivered, panting slightly. Mark just watched, amusement on his face. I leaned forward again and whispered to Jack once more. "Now do you believe me? And can you behave?" He swallowed, looking at me, lust in his eyes. I grinned and whispered directly in his ear this time, soft as a whisper. "Oh look, your Mom's coming. I bet she wants to play with the girls." The effect on Jack was instant and somewhat comical. His eyes blew wide open and his head spun as he tried to banish his boner at the same time. He actually yelped slightly too. 

Mark barked out a laugh. "Sorry Jack, but man, it's funny to watch what she can do, to either of us, when we aren't the one it's happening to. What the hell did she just say?"

I grinned and shifted again, moving closer to Mark and also teasing Jack again in the process. He swore. "Dammit! Sit still woman. Ye're going ta kill me."

I was grinning ferrally now. "I tried to warn you. This is what happens when you don't listen." I leaned over to Mark, taking care not to tease Jack again for the moment, and told him, in a whisper, what I had said that got Jack's attention to shift so suddenly. He laughed. I raised an eyebrow. He stopped laughing somewhat suddenly, looking a little scared. "That's better. Now, both of you, behave. I can be very effective when I need to be, don't you think?"

Both men looked at each other, back at me, and nodded. "We'll behave now, love. Ye don't need ta kill us."

I hugged them both. "I don't want to kill you, but I guess I needed to remind you I was in charge and you both need to behave. Now, let's film this last vlog of September and post it." I paused for a minute, a sudden idea coming to me. "Actually, I have an idea. Let's start a shared channel, for vlogs like this, family videos, and things that aren't what either of you would normally post. We can each film a short clip for our channels to announce it, and I'll get it set up this afternoon. We can use this shared vlog as the first video, but put links for all three channels in the about us section. Then we won't keep having double or triple posts of the same video. Plus, we can group the videos better and people will know where to look if they just want the videos about our family or things with the girls and the babies."

Mark and Jack both grinned at me. "Sounds smart, sweetheart. Do we need to do anything to help?"

I shook my head. "Nope. All the framework is already done. I just have to grab my laptop to work from while I sit with you both after. I want your input and help setting it up, picking the artwork for the channel, and choosing what to use for various things. It won't take more than an hour, probably." I looked down at the girls. "Hey girls? Do you want to be in some more videos? The fans love seeing you and we are going to make a channel just so they can. You don't have to, just so we are clear."

Sammi and Dani jumped up, clapping. Stephanie looked at me and nodded. "Sounds fun Momma. What do we do?"

Tiana was looking a little unsure. I smiled at all of them. "Well, we are going to record a video again now. If you want to be in it, you can be. You can either sit with us, or in our laps. Just be careful of Papa's leg and arm, okay? And you don't have to talk if you don't want to. It's totally up to the four of you. If you don't want to be in the video, Ti, you can just move over to the other couch and play, or watch. We won't be upset, or sad, or mad."

Tiana smiled and Climbed into Mark's lap, carefully, and hugged him. "I wanna hewp, too." I smiled at her and nodded.

I shifted positions a little, sitting more on the couch and less in Jack's lap now that he had settled back down and Sammi and Dani both climbed in my lap immediately. Stephanie climbed up next to Jack and snuggled into his side, hugging him. He smiled down at her and pulled me, and the girls, back into his lap more. Stephanie smiled and patted my belly. "Good Momma. Thank ye for bringing her closer Daddy." 

Jack chuckled. "Of course, Steph. Yer Momma was just trying ta make room for all of us, but I think we're all happier when she's in tha middle of tha group, and we can all just surround her. Right?"

Everyone nodded. Jack scooted a little closer to Mark again, until they were side by side, both of them touching me again and everyone able to reach over and rest a hand on my baby bump, which they all did. I sighed. "Everyone comfy?" Nods all around. "Okay, then here we go!" We launched into intros, all three of us doing our usual channel intros. I started the explanations of what was going on after that. "Welcome to another vlog, folks! As many of you know, Things have been kind of crazy for us for a little while, and last week we had something else happen, so we're going to explain everything. Our daughters are here to help us announce a small change, but one I think you will all like a lot. First though, why some of the changes. As many of you probably noticed, Mark got hurt recently and is stuck in an arm cast and a full leg cast for a while. He had some shelves fall on him, and they knocked him around a lot, so he also has a bunch of broken ribs and had a bad concussion, which, thankfully, he is on the mend from. Long time viewers might remember Jack's accident a few years ago, and if you do, their injuries have a lot of similarities, which means Mark is going to need my help recording for a while, as well as needing extra care and someone to push his wheelchair around until he can get back on his feet." I smiled at him. "We have lots of help though, from our families, who are almost all here, and our friends, especially Wade, or LordMinion777, Bob, or Muyskerm, and Mark's friend Tyler, who just moved out here recently and is currently staying here to help." I sighed slightly and looked back at the camera.

Before I could continue, Jack jumped in. "Yeah, so everybody thank them on Twitter. Seriously. Their help is keeping our lass from worrying and trying ta do too much. I had a bit of a health scare when Mark got hurt as well, so I can't do as much as I would normally."

I nodded. "Thanks Jack." I leaned over and kissed his cheek, very gently. "You're still doing plenty, and I need the help too. Now as you all know by now, I'm pregnant, with octuplets, so I can't do a lot of physically demanding things right now. Mark and Jack have both been helping me as much as they can, but with Mark laid up, Jack has had to try to do more, or so he seems to think. Until we went to the hospital anyway. When we were there, I made the doctors check all of us out, just because of the extreme stress we had been under for the last month or so. Jack had dangerously high blood pressure and his heart was beating far, far too fast. He's under treatment now, and I'm making him go to a cardiologist next week, but for a while at least, no rage gaming or horror games, except what he already has recorded. Both these two have a pretty big back stock of videos, so they will be using them down while all three of us try to get better, at least a little. I'm struggling with the morning sickness and being very dizzy, but those should pass soon, hopefully in the next few weeks, or maybe even sooner. I'm officially eleven weeks now, so the end of the first trimester is almost here, meaning I might actually have some energy back soon too. For now though, I still have to deal with no energy, nausea, dizziness, and being cold all the time. Everyone is making sure I have lots of cuddles to help keep me warm though, and napping with me to help me stay calm and happy. Mostly, my biggest concern with my health is making sure I stay hydrated and can actually eat sometimes. I have been hospitalized because of lack of nutrition and dehydration already this pregnancy because of being so sick." Mark reached over and stroked my tummy a little with his good hand, drawing a small smile from me. All four of our daughters patted my belly as well. Jack leaned forward a little and kissed my shoulder. "As you can see, everyone has been worried about me. I'm being very careful though. I want all of us safe and happy, new babies, our beautiful princesses, me, and my two handsome men. That means going a little slower on my channel and taking it easy for the guys too."

They both nodded. Jack rested his head on my shoulder again. Mark leaned on us both now as well. "She's right. We just hate it, but she's absolutely right. We just can't keep doing as much as usual."

I snorted a small laugh. "I know how that feels. All of the last month, you two tried to do this to me, make me slow down more than I needed to. Well, turnabout is fair play, and you two actually don't seem to know when to slow down. So now you have to listen to me." I looked at the camera again. "Anyway, we have other things to talk about here, so let's keep this vlog rolling, shall we? All of you lovely viewers have been clamoring at us, wanting more videos of our family life, our daughters, updates on my pregnancy. Well, to accommodate you, as much as we are going to anyway, we are setting up this new, fourth channel. All the family stuff will be here from now on, and links to our main channels will be available as usual. It's going to help make it easier for everyone to find things and us to manage the videos better. And the girls will be making videos with us for this channel, at least a little more, so if you have things you'd like to see, suggestions, or just are excited for more, leave a comment down below, like the video, and subscribe to this new channel. I will try to make sure we update at least once or twice a week, but no promises at this point. Life has been a little too unpredictable of late for me to do that. Now, one final thing, baby bump updates will be released on my main channel still, but I might put links here as well, if people are interested. So we're going to leave the video here."

Jack grinned recognizing the start of his outro. "So if ye liked it, PUNCH that like button, in tha face, LIKE A BOSS!! And, high fives all 'round! *Wapish!* *Wapish!*" Dani and Stephanie high fived Jack as he was doing his usual outro, getting grins and hugs from both of us. "Aww, thanks girls. Now, we will see all you dudes, IN THA NEXT VIDEO!!"

Mark chimed in "Bu-Bye!" He waved with his good hand. 

The girls all threw massive smoochies at the camera as I wrapped up my outro and ended the video. I was grinning as I stood up to turn the camera off, handing Dani and Sam to Jack for a minute. Jack grinned as well, cuddling the close. "Ye girls were so good!"

I ended the video and dumped it into my laptop to edit in a little while, then came back over for more snuggles. I noticed the girls were starting to look tired, so instead of sitting back down, I asked the girls and Jack to get up for a minute and go get Mark and I drinks and gather the blankets, pillows and a few books. Once they were gone I laid down on the couch, my head resting on Mark's lap. He smiled down at me. "What are you up to now, babe?"

I yawned, feeling tired, as usual lately. "Nap time for everyone. That's why I wanted the pillows and blankets. We can all curl up here, with you there and me laying here and Jack can snuggle both of us and the girls can lay on top of me. We can read a book until everyone falls asleep, if we need to. You are starting to look tired too, Mark, so don't argue."

I shook his head and leaned back, resting it on the back of the couch and reaching down to stroke my hair. "I wasn't going to. Actually, that sounds really nice. But do you think the girls will cooperate?"

I giggled a little. "It's been working like magic for over a week now. They like being able to cuddle me and rub the babies. They have been willing to sit still with me for a lot longer lately to do that then they used to, and they are just so interested in everything having to do with my pregnancy. Speaking of that, I need to film a bump update this afternoon. But not right now. Right now, I'm tired and want cuddles."

Mark smiled and nodded, shifting into a more comfortable position just as the girls and Jack came back. I told them the plan, and everyone got settled. Jack lad down next to me, holding me close, one arm draped over my hip onto the babies, the other under me, supporting me and drawing me closer. Sammi and Ti climbed up and laid down on top of Jack and I. Dani squeezed herself in front of me, curling up under my baby bump. Stephanie crawled up and wrapped herself around my legs, her head resting on my hip just below Jack's arm. I checked that everyone was comfy and wrapped the blankets around all of us, handing out pillows or stuffed animals to anyone who wanted one. Just as Jack was about to start reading the first story, Ma came in. She grinned and took the book, telling us to all just relax. She read until I felt all four girls asleep on me, and hear Mark gently snoring. I smiled and looked at her. She winked and whispered to me. "Good job lass. Ye got everyone ta sleep, or nearly so. Jackaboy, I see ye fighting sleep back there, just like when ye were a wee tot. Close yer eyes. No one is going anywhere for a bit. Ye need ta take it easy too."

I smiled as I felt Jack relax into me a bit more. Ma's smile widened when I started humming very quietly and a moment later, Jack's quiet snore joined Mark's. I yawned again. "Thanks for reading Ma. Now, I'm going to join this nap session. I'm tired."

Ma chuckled and nodded. "Of course ye are lass. Ye keep a whole army of people on track, besides growing another small army at tha moment. Ye sleep. We'll watch out for ye lot." I nodded softly again and closed my eyes, sleep overtaking me before I could think of anything else to say.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so everybody gets an extra update because of all the milestones for everyone's channels on YouTube lately! Sorry if this chapter is a little shorter and seems like a filler, but I needed to break things up slightly from what I had planned so there will be three chapters, hopefully all released soon, that will be a little shorter, then back into the longer ones! Next chapter, baby doctor and cardiology appointment for Jackaroni! 
> 
> Also, I went back through all of **_How We Met_** and cleaned up the editing issues. I changed the wording a little, but mostly, just fixed the mistakes, in case anyone is interested. I will be doing the same for my other stories as well, as I find the time, so keep an eye out. Mostly no content changes, but it should be a smoother read if you go back and reread things and I might have clarified things that were a but off in spots. (The issues I have with my vision have made it hard to write normally, but gave me a bit more time to edit and reread, so there you go.) 
> 
> Now, I'm off to go work on another chapter of my Dan X Reader (X Mark, since that's what everyone ended up wanting) **_Dancing to the Beat of the Rain_** , around this story. Hopefully, my errant schedule for these stories will be back under control soon, but I had 16 doctors appointments in the month of March, and April isn't looking a whole lot lighter, so... Yeah, we'll see. I also need to have some minor surgery, so um, maybe just expect delays still for a bit...
> 
> I just realized, this is two chapters out in two days! Wow, that hasn't happened in a while. Oh, and this chapter was written today and yesterday only, so sorry if it seems rushed.


	24. Jack's Heart and Baby Doctor Visit Number Three, Take Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to find out what's going n with Jack's heart and blood pressure and get the next baby checkup...

The first week of October was a lot calmer for all of us than September had been. Jack settled in, seeing I cooperated more when he stayed with Mark and I, resting and relaxing with us. We recorded a few calm games in our home office for his channel, as well as a vlog that explained his medical issues a little more as we understood them right now. The vlog went up on his main channel and went viral. Or new combined channel was an instant success as well, gaining subscribers at a faster pace than any of us could believe. The girls wanted to record with us almost everyday, but we just weren't up to that. Mark and I recorded a few games as well, settling into the same recording style I had been using with Jack ever since that box fell on him three almost three years ago. We stuck mostly to flash games and a few silly couples games at first, testing the waters on his channel, but the response was so overwhelmingly positive we soon realized we could and should have started doing this a lot sooner. I sighed to myself and made a note to record at least one video a day with each of them in the future, or alternate days back and forth between them. Meanwhile, I focused on my animations, something I had been neglecting slightly in the past few months, while I was relaxing and snuggling Mark and Jack. Both of them encouraged me and seemed very much to enjoy watching me work, fascinated by the process. They both requested that I animate an episode of something they had recorded in the past, and I told them I would think about it, still feeling like a newbie on the animation scene. 

My appointment with my cardiologist was scheduled for Friday, October Ninth, at eleven o'clock, but when I called and explained about Jack's heart, the office asked him to come in then and moved my appointment to eleven thirty. I smiled and thanked them for taking him. Jack was told to get a blood work panel done by Wednesday, so he and I went to get blood work on Tuesday morning (I needed it for a neonatal check to double check for abnormalities and a more detailed workup than the office lab could provide) after fasting for the required twelve hours. I was finally starting to feel less dizzy, nauseous, and exhausted. On Thursday, I actually managed to hold down all the food I ate all day without throwing up even once. It felt like a major victory. Jack and Mark were both immensely proud, excited, and happy about it as well. Jack even pointed it out to everyone after dinner, when we were all relaxing and trying to get the girls ready for bed. We had been forced to move the nightly story reading out to the living room, so Mark could join in, but other than this small change, life was settling back into the groove of what was normal, at least for us. When Mom heard Jack's comment she grinned and gave me a thumbs up. Dani had a different opinion though. "Momma, it good yous not throwing up, but Daddy, that was icky. Ye shouldn't have ta tell us that, especiawy right afta dinner. Bleah!"

I chuckled. "Baby, I agree completely. Daddy shouldn't have mentioned that. But it is good I'm not as sick anymore." I yawned. "But I am tired tonight. What stories are we reading?"

Sammi, Ti, and Steph brought books out and handed them to Jack, Mark, and Momiplier. I looked at everyone and raised an eyebrow. Jack grinned. "Ye just lay there and relax, love. Tha girls picked other people ta read tonight, so ye are off tha hook." I sighed, but laid down quietly. All four girls immediately climbed on top of me, burying me in warm bodies. I was laying in Jack and Mark's laps already, so now I was completely surrounded by warmth, especially with the blankets I was under tucked right up to my chin. Jack chuckled as I closed my eyes, scooting into the warmth a little more. "That's better. Ye look like ye're finally warm and comfy." 

I nodded. "Yeah. I forgot how much pregnancy makes me feel cold all the time. Even under the extra blankets and wearing really warm clothes, I'm freezing lately." I snuggled down into the warmth even further. "I do appreciate all the warm snuggle buddies lately though." I tried to fight back another yawn and failed. 

Jack just smiled and reached down, running a gentle hand over my hair. "We love helping ye stay warm, love. Ye are so cuddly, all soft, and ye curl in so close. Besides, ye keep us all calm and happy when we can watch out for ye this way. Now, close yer eyes and relax, lass. Mark and I aren't going anywhere this evening and tha girls are all cuddled up with ye. Everything is good. Get some more rest."

I smiled softly. "Thank you, Sean." I closed my eyes as another huge yawn overtook me. I felt, rather than saw all four girls pat me and snuggle in closer. I hummed softly, a happy and contented sound. Mark reached over and rubbed my shoulders with his good hand as he started reading, but I fell asleep, surrounded by the happy warmth of my family before he had even been reading five minutes. I didn't feel the girls being lifted off me when the grandmas carried them back to bed a little while later, but I did notice they were gone when I woke back up around nine thirty that evening. I shivered slightly and pulled the blankets, which had slipped down a little while I slept, back up under my chin and looked around. Our parents were sitting on the other couch and in the arm chairs next to it, reading, knitting, and just having a quiet conversation. Jack and Mark were asleep, napping leaned into each other, still sitting under me, snuggling me close. I smiled when I saw them asleep like this. 

Ma was the first one to notice I was awake again. She smiled over at me. "Hey there lass. Ye got everyone relaxed and ta sleep again. Good job. We took ta girls up ta their beds and tucked them in tight, so just ye relax and try ta go back ta sleep. Tha lads always rest easier if ye are snuggled inta them, and they need their rest too."

I nodded, smiling, and closed my eyes again. I was asleep a few breaths later. I didn't wake up again until morning, when I found myself tucked under the covers, between Jack and Mark, in our bed. The sun was just starting to peek through the blinds. The house was quiet, meaning I was probably awake before the girls. I shifted and stretched a little, working my muscles and smiled a little brighter when both Jack and Mark snuggled into me a little tighter, wrapping arms around me, still asleep. I took a moment then to study Mark's sleeping face, since I was slightly turned towards him. In his sleep, he was smiling a little, his good hand tucked under me, cradling me close. The lines of worry and stress that had seemed so deeply etched since the beginning of September were starting to soften and fade, as were the dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep. I couldn't help leaning forward and gently placing a kiss on his forehead, feather light, and running a hand along his jaw. He must have felt it because he leaned his head into my hand, then slowly opened his eyes, looking sleepy. He smiled a little brighter, shifted his head so my hand was now in front of his mouth, and kissed my palm, sweetly. "Hey beautiful. How are you feeling this morning? How's your stomach and the dizziness?"

I sighed happily and leaned my head against his, staying quiet so Jack could keep sleeping for a bit longer. "Hey Markimoo. Actually, I feel lot better today then I have been. The dizziness and nausea are pretty much non-existent right now." I smiled and kissed Mark's forehead again. "I think I'm finally out of the first trimester, babe. I'm about thirteen weeks, which is the right time frame. I could start feeling the babies move any time now, too." I rested my hands on my baby bump and looked down it. I didn't even mind that I looked so pregnant at this point now. I was excited to finally be less sick. 

Mark's arm that had been under me squeezed gently and shifted, sliding down the bed so he could rest a hand on my baby bump too. "Sweetheart, that's amazing. I'm so glad you finally feel better. When we go to see Dr. Sara tomorrow, you should tell her. She might have you start backing the medicines down, or stop taking them completely, if you don't feel sick again after you back them down."

I nodded and wrapped my hand around Mark's on my tummy, just sharing the moment. I shifted slightly, taking the weight off Mark's arm as well, also turning me slightly towards Jack. Jack still had his eyes closed, but it looked like he was waking up. Mark and I both watched him for a few moments, smiling, relaxed and happy. When Jack opened his eyes and was awake enough to focus on us, he smiled as well. "Have tha two of ye been awake long? Ye both look so happy and rested, for once. How are tha two of ye feeling?"

I leaned forward enough to place gentle kisses along Jack's jaw, my hand not on my baby bump going up and cradling Jack's cheek. "Mornin' handsome. Mark and I both woke up just a little while ago. I was just telling him how much better I feel this morning. I'm pretty sure the morning sickness is finally over, at least mostly. I'm in the second trimester now." I placed more kisses along Jack's jaw, resting my head against his. "If things progress like last time, I'll probably feel the first flutters of baby movement pretty soon. It could be in the next few days, or if these babies are a little calmer than the girls, it could be a while still." I smiled and snuggled my head down into Jack's neck and shoulder. "The fun part of pregnancy is about to start now."

Jack raised an eyebrow at me. "Love? What do ye mean?"

I grinned. "Well, the worst of the morning sickness, dizziness, and exhaustion will be over. Yes, I'm going to get a lot bigger more quickly, but if you both remember, I, um, get a bit..." I paused and blushed a little, looking down. "...well, horny. And some of my hormones settle down a little, so I'm less likely to cry all the time. I might even stop feeling so cold all the time before long, but I'm still going to want snuggles." I shifted my head slightly, breathing in Jack's wonderful scent, feeling Mark's arm around me, soaking in the love and comfort of this early morning. I sighed happily.

Mark kissed my shoulder, a soft, sweet gesture, and cuddled in a bit closer, warming me up more and adding to the sense of comfort I had by moving in close enough that even though my nose was practically in Jack's skin, I could smell his calming scent as well. I smiled. Jack looked down at me and kissed the top of my head as best he could without moving me. "Ye look so happy and content, love. And Mark and I are glad ye feel better. I had forgotten about how much better ye got after tha first trimester was over. And I do remember ye did get a bit frisky after ye felt better tha first time ye were pregnant, but I didn't know why."

Mark chuckled, a happy deep rumble just behind me. "Yeah. We both thought that was just a coincidence, I think. Or the relief of not being sick and tired all the time."

I giggled. "Nope. And I read this happens to a lot of women. So you may have some surprise encounters. I promise to keep your health stuff in mind though guys. I mean, I really don't want either of you hurt, even if I am feeling like a wild woman." I felt both men shiver against me and chuckled slightly. I leaned forward and pressed a kiss into Jack's neck, feather light, sweet, and loving. Jack shivered again and wrapped his arms around me, drawing me in closer. 

Jack growled at me, sexy, deep, and quiet. "I love ye, lass. Ye're absolutely tha most beautiful woman I've ever known, inside and out. Ye and Mark mean tha world ta me. Ye gave me our beautiful, perfect, amazing daughters. Ye help me at work, making my content better, responding ta fans and addressing issues as soon as they come up, and make everything easier than it's ever been for me. Ye keep me calm, even when tha world is throwin' shit at me as fast as it can. Ye amaze me everyday. And ye agreed ta marry me." Jack lifted my hand with his ring to press it to his lips. I looked up into his eyes, lifting my head away from his neck and shoulder. Their blue depths were overflowing with love and emotion. I smiled, letting my own emotions show, then snuggled back down into Jack's shoulder, cuddling with him. Mark squeezed the hand I was still holding. I squeezed back.

His voice sounded a little choked up. "Babe. I feel the same way Jack does. You take really good care of us both. And we love you with all our hearts."

I nodded, keeping my face buried in Jack's neck. I smiled. "Guys, I love you both, too. I'm not sure what brought this on. I'm feeling better, not getting sicker. Both of you are okay, and recovering pretty well. Sean, baby, we have a visit with my cardiologist, well, technically two of them, one for each of us, today. She's going to see you first. I'm sure after she takes a look at your heart she'll figure all this out and you'll be back to normal in no time. And tomorrow we go see Dr. Sara and gets these babies checked." I pressed another kiss into Jack's collar bone where it joined his neck. "We're all going to be great, just you wait and see." I closed my eyes for a few seconds, breathing in the peace. When I opened them again, I decided it was time for all of us to get up and get moving for the day. "Come on guys. We should get the day started." Jack immediately got out of bed and helped me roll over to the edge and steadied me as I stood up. I smiled when the room stayed steady, no dizziness at all, and my stomach didn't lurch or protest. Jack raised an eyebrow at me. "I'm good sweetie. I'm not dizzy or sick at all right now. Go help Mark into the wheelchair. Or do you need me to go see if Tyler is up yet to help you?"

Jack shook his head. "Nah. Not for this short a distance. Tyler can help Mark get dressed later. I can't hold him up for as long as that takes, but supporting him for tha two hops from tha bed ta tha wheelchair I can manage." I nodded and we both turned back to Mark, who had gotten himself to the edge of the bed, unassisted. While Jack got the wheelchair moved as close as he could, I leaned down and helped Mark get into a sitting position. 

"Thank you [y/n]. But please, don't try to do any more than this. I'm worried you'll hurt yourself or something." Mark smiled worriedly at me. I shook my head. "Hey, I'm serious. You're not supposed to be lifting things. This is really the first morning you haven't been sick or dizzy. Take it easy." I felt a hand on my shoulder and, knowing it was Jack, leaned into it for a few seconds before I stepped away, letting him get at Mark. The two men got Mark shifted over with relative ease, and we all headed out of the bedroom to the kitchen, looking for some food and to see who, if anyone, was already up.

As luck would have it, Ma was up and so were the girls. Ma had gotten them all in their booster seats at the kitchen table and given them bowls of oatmeal and some fruit. I smiled and kissed each one of their tiny faces, noting Dani and Sammi were still three quarters of the way asleep, but Ti and Steph were wide awake. "Mornin' Momma, Papa, Daddy! Ye wook wess sick this morning Momma. Is ye feewing better?"

I smiled at Stephanie, who was the one asking me the question. "Yeah, baby girl, I am. I think the babies have stopped making me sick, at least for a while. Before too long, I should start feeling them move around. Not too long after that, everyone will probably be able to feel it or see the movements on my belly. That's what happened with you four, anyway." Tiana clapped her excitement. Everyone smiled before going back to eating or getting some food ready to eat. Mark, Jack, and I all opted for some cereal this morning, so I grabbed us the Cheerios, bowls, spoons, the milk, and berries and bananas. I also made myself a cup of hot tea and set the honey on the table, to add to my tea and cereal, if I wanted. Ma finished eating first, after the girls, and chased them off to clean up and go play in the playroom. As we ate, other people wandered in and got their own breakfasts. Mom started clearing the dishes and washing them as soon as she finished her food, shooing us out into the living room to relax. I smiled and kissed her cheek in thanks as we went. Jack and Mark settled comfortably into the couch, but I decided I wanted a shower and to get dressed. "Guys, I'll be back in a few minutes. I just want to go grab a shower and get ready for the day."

Jack smiled at me and raised an eyebrow. "Do ye want any help? Tyler looked almost done, so we could all head in and get ready, if ye don't mind waiting a few minutes. Or we could head off first and ask Tyler ta help Mark as soon as he's ready. Then Mark could join us in tha shower and we could all get ready together."

I grinned at Jack, feeling sassy. "You just want to see me naked. I know it. Fine. I'll go ask Tyler to bring Mark back in a minute, AFTER he finishes eating." 

Jack blushed a little and grinned, not denying my claims. "Well, yeah, that's part of it, love. I always want ta see ye like that. But I thought ye might need some help washing yer hair, or just someone ta be there in case ye got dizzy in tha shower."

I shook my head, still grinning widely. "Nope. But you can still join me. Mark, babe, will you be okay resting here for a few minutes, alone?"

Mark blinked at me, a small smile on his face. "Yeah. You two take your time. And tell Tyler, no rush. My ribs kind of ache today."

I went over to him and gave him a very gentle hug. "Oh, babe. I'm so sorry. Hey, do you need to skip the shower this morning? Jack and I can help you wash up tonight, before bed, or you could just wait a day. Maybe just lay down on the couch for a while, with plenty of pillows, and we can take care of you. And you need to take your medicines, especially the pain meds and muscle relaxant if your ribs are hurting. Now, what do you want me to do to help you?"

Mark smiled at me, blushing slightly at the mothering tone I used. "I'll be fine, sweetheart. I just ache a little. And maybe skipping the shower for now would be better, especially if Jack's going to be there to make sure you are okay. I know, I know. You said you feel better and you don't want us babying you, but we worry, especially with how sick you've been for the past month. Good god, woman, you are superhuman, we know, but even so, you have limits. Now, go tell Tyler he doesn't need to rush his breakfast, I'm just going to stay here on the couch in my pajamas for a while and rest, no shower this morning." 

I leaned over and helped Mark get into a more comfortable position, laying down, as Jack got up. Then I grabbed all the spare pillows I could manage and made Mark comfortable, cushioning his ribs as much as I could, draping a blanket gently over him, and pressing a sweet kiss into his forehead. "Love you, Markimoo. I'll be back with those medicines in a few minutes." Mark smiled at me and nodded, looking a little pale. Jack leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss on his cheek too. I headed into the kitchen, getting Mark a glass of juice and his medicines and stopping to talk to Tyler. "Morning Tyler. Mark isn't feeling great this morning, so he's skipping the shower to lay down on the couch and just rest up for a while. Take your time this morning over breakfast. He doesn't even want to get up from where we settled him to get dressed right now." 

Tyler nodded. "Sure thing. And seriously, thank you, all three of you, for letting me stay here like this. I know the timing worked out pretty well, as far as having me here to help with Mark, but this still feels like a big deal. And you've all made me feel so welcome..."

I smiled a genuinely happy smile at Tyler. "No, Tyler, thank _you_. Jack and I couldn't have managed this, even with our parents helping, without you here too. And besides, you are one of Mark's friends, and I hope, one of mine and Jack's too, now that we've gotten to know you. And it's not like we don't have the room. Even if Mark hadn't gotten hurt, you would have been welcome to stay here as long as you wanted. You're a good guy for being willing to help with Mark though." I smiled a little brighter. "And the girls. They all love you, if you didn't notice. You've been adopted as another Uncle."

Tyler smiled back at me. "You and Jack are definitely my friends too. And your kids are adorable. How could I not like them? I just can't believe you, Jack, and Mark can keep up with them, work, and everything else as well as you do. I know I would be completely overwhelmed to even try."

I chuckled, a little ruefully. "Oh don't you start too. I swear, everyone treats me like I juggle more than is humanly possible. I'm just good at keeping us all organized and on track, that's all. And I _NEED_ to work. It's a lot of what keeps me sane, most of the time. Well, that and the family. I need to stay busy." I looked down. "I had a lot of things happen to me when I was younger that have made me stronger, but still left me..." I closed my eyes, gathering my mental reserves. "...damaged. My father was abusive, as was his mother, who we lived with for a long time. I was badly bullied. Life just kind of sucked for me, at least until I was in college, when some of the crap settled. It still wasn't _good_ until I started this job, but I thought it was. I use work and being busy to help keep the voices from the past from attacking me too much." I bit my lip, still looking down. 

Tyler cleared his throat. "Hey, I'm not going to judge you. Whatever you need to do to stay healthy and sane, as long as it doesn't hurt you or anyone else, is your own business." 

I looked back up at him, my smile returning. "Thanks. I really didn't think you'd judge me, it's just hard to talk about. You can ask Mark or Jack about it though. They know the whole story, or at least ninety-nine percent of it, and I told them it was okay to talk to other people about, as long as it was people we trust. You definitely fit the bill. Now, I'm going to go take Mark his medication and then Jack and I are going to go take a shower and get ready for the doctor."

Tyler nodded, a small smile on his face. "Okay. Tell Mark I'll be out after I finish eating. And thanks for trusting me. I wouldn't ever do anything to hurt any of you."

I blushed a little and nodded, my smile a little brighter again. "I know. We wouldn't either." Tyler nodded again and turned back to his breakfast, applying himself to the food and letting me escape with Mark's joice and medicine. I came back into the living room to see Stephanie rubbing Mark's back, snuggling him close, while Mark read a book to her. They both looked up when I came in, smiles breaking across both their faces. "Aww. Stephie, baby, are you helping Papa feel better? Momma was talking to Uncle Tyler and getting his medicines ready, so he would feel better."

Stephanie nodded. "Good. Papa said his chest and back hurt, so I is being vewy soft, but I knowed rubbing hewps me feew better." She leaned forward and kissed Mark gently. "Take yer medicine Papa. Momma's wight. Ye need ta feel better. Unca Ty can hewp ye soon. And thank ye for reading me tha story. Can ye read some more, please?"

Mark smiled. "Just a minute, baby. Let me take these medicines first. And thank you for helping me feel better. The back rub feels good. So do the cuddles. And the kiss." I smiled at the two of them and gave them both kisses, handing Mark his juice and pills. I wrapped Stephanie in a hug as well, while Mark swallowed his medicine, letting go only when he started reading again. Stephanie settled back in place and gently started rubbing his back again, following the story closely as she did. I grinned, took a fast picture on my phone, and went back to the bedroom, hoping Jack was already there, waiting to shower. He was.

I smiled at him as I walked into the bedroom, then showed him the picture I had just taken. "Lass, that's adorable. Ye should post that online. Tha fans will go crazy. Besides, it's just too sweet not ta share."

I nodded. "I know. I'm thinking it needs the hashtag #familymoments or #storytimeandsnuggles. What do you think?"

Jack wrapped his arms around me and nodded. "Both. And #MarkimooandStephieplier."

I leaned into Jack and posted the picture on Twitter, tagging Mark and just adding all three hashtags and #FeelbettersoonMark. Jack kissed me softly on the cheek as I finished, humming softly. I looked at him, raising an eyebrow. "Sean?"

Jack chuckled. "Ye're so sweet love. And ye look after us all so well. I'm just happy this morning. Happier than usual."

I smiled and snuggled closer, then giggled. "So I see. And your friend downstairs is happy and awake too. Hmm. Maybe we can help him out in the shower, what do you say, Sean?"

Jack shivered and started pressing kisses into my shoulders. I chuckled and we headed into the bathroom, still snuggled together. We broke apart long enough to turn the water on and strip, then immediately got in, under the warm water, and wrapped each other back up, our arms going around each other almost instinctively. Our shower lasted a good long time, and Jack and I were both a lot more relaxed and satisfied when we stepped out. Jack had helped me wash my hair after we were done making love, and now he helped me dry it and brush the tangles away. As we dried off, I realized we hadn't brought any clean clothes in with us, so I dragged a towel around myself and stepped back into the bedroom. Tyler and Mark were in there getting Mark dressed as well. Tyler and I both blushed brightly, and I nearly ran for the closet, stepping inside to get dressed. Jack chuckled as he walked out of the bathroom behind me and handed me the underwear I needed from the drawer outside. Mark was laughing quietly too. After I was dressed, I stepped carefully back out of the closet, startled to see the room was now completely empty. I sighed and headed out to the living room, shivering slightly. Mark was sitting on the couch and reached out, making grabby hands for me as soon as he spotted me. "Babe, come snuggle me. You look cold. Jack went to go get me my phone and charger. We left them somewhere else, and he thought he might have an idea where. Sorry for laughing at you when you came out of the bathroom." He grinned at me. "You just looked so surprised to see Tyler and me. And Tyler got so embarrassed."

I shook my head. "Yeah, well, I had no idea you and Tyler were there. Jack and I forgot to bring clean clothes in with us." I sat down and snuggled into Mark's warmth. "Are the medicines helping your ribs any, sweetheart?"

Mark kissed my cheek. "Yeah. And actually, Tyler might have been a little embarrassed because we, um, overheard you and Jack in the shower. Well, I did. Tyler heard the noises and ran off, leaving me on the end of the bed. Did you two have fun?"

I grinned and rested my head on Mark's shoulder. "Yeah. I know you weren't feeling up to joining us, but if you want some alone time with either of us, just let me know. Or Jack. Whoever. We weren't trying to exclude you."

Mark grinned at me. "I know. And actually, I'm too sore to do anything right now anyway. Pain is a major boner killer. But if you and Jack were getting it on in the shower, you really must be feeling better today. That's awesome."

I nodded. "Yeah. I didn't even take my medicines this morning, except the vitamins. I have them ready, in case I need them later in the day, but Dr. Sara told me before I would probably know when to stop them, just like last pregnancy. She told me she trusts my judgement about this." I paused for a second, just listening to the sound of Mark's heart and breathing, when I realized the rest of what Mark had said a moment ago and stiffened in my seat. "Wait, you and Tyler heard Jack and I? Oh, god. I'm so embarrassed now."

Mark just kissed my forehead. "Relax babe. Tyler won't say anything. Although, he might have trouble looking at you without blushing for a bit. Besides, as you yourself have pointed out a few times, it's not like it's a secret that you and Jack and I have sex. I mean, two pregnancies are kind of a giveaway." I sighed and relaxed again, realizing he was right. "That's better. Now, you just snuggle me for a while. I know you and Jack will have to leave before long for the Cardiologist, but until then, I'm claiming all the snuggles you will share." He leaned closer and whispered in my ear, a low, sexy rumble. "Think of it as my consolation prize for missing out on the sexy fun from a little while ago."

I giggled and just settled in as close as I could to him, letting the peace and calm wash over us. Jack came back in a little while later, Mark's phone in hand. He plugged it in to charge and handed it over to Mark, making sure the cord would reach, then curling into my side and reaching behind me to rub Mark's back. We all stayed like this until Jack and I eventually had to get up to leave for the doctor. We kissed Mark and the girls goodbye, waving to everyone else as we headed out. Jack drove us in, since I was having trouble sitting behind the wheel, being so large from the pregnancy already. After Jack parked. I walked in and checked us both in. We settled in to wait, but didn't have very long to sit there before Jack was called back. The nurse looked confused when I came back too, until we informed her that as his fiancee, I would be in the room as well. She smiled, nodded, and grabbed my chart as well then. We both had to be weighed, have our pulses checked, temperatures taken, and blood pressures recorded. Jack's heart and blood pressure were still on the high side, making me frown slightly as we were asked to wait in the exam room. Jack climbed up on the table, while I settled in a chair, bringing my crotchet hook and yarn out. I was making the girls scarves for the winter, to use while we visited relatives, stitching their names into them and using their favorite colors, and so far I had finished Tiana's (purple, of course, with bright pink stripes), Danielle's (yellow and green striped), and was working on Samantha's (bright blue and green striped). I planned to make Stephanie's in bright pink with red stripes, and hoped to start it in the next few days, as soon as Sammi's was finished. Jack watched, seeming enrapt by my work. I smiled when the doctor came in, putting my project away for later. 

Dr. Gabe McPherson, or as she asked me to call her, Dr. Gabe smiled at us both. "Lovely to see you both today. [Y/N], I see you aren't the main patient today. What happened?"

I nodded, licking my lips, slightly nervously. "Yeah, um, Jack was in the hospital after our other boyfriend got fairly seriously injured. A bookcase collapsed on him and he got really banged up. Anyway, the doctor made all three of us get checked out, me because of my pregnancy, Mark, obviously, because he was hurt, and Jack because he was so stressed and nearly had a panic attack. Anyway, the long and the short of it is Jack's heart has been working overtime and his blood pressure is too high. Neither one is responding to the medication he's been given all that well. I'm worried about him. That's why I changed the appointment a bit and forced him to come get checked. After my heart issues, I wasn't about to let this side. And Dr. MacBrady, at the hospital agreed that something looks off."

Dr. Gabe nodded. "Well, let's get this exam underway then. Mr. McLoughlin? Do you want me to call you Jack, Sean, or Mr. McLoughlin?"

Jack grinned. "Jack's fine. Ye don't have ta be too formal with me. Ye call my gorgeous fiancee [Y/N], after all."

Dr. Gabe smiled. "Well, that's what she told me to call her." She looked at me for a minute. "And when did you two get engaged, if you don't mind my asking? What about the other man, Mark was it?"

I smiled and held out my rings. "Jack and I got engaged at the beginning of September. I can't believe it was a whole month ago, sweetie, can you?" Jack smiled and shook his head at me as the doctor looked at my rings. "Jack got me this one. Mark is still with me too, and gave me this other one, as a promise we would still be together and there for each other no matter what."

Dr. Gabe nodded after examining the rings closely. "Those are quite lovely. Good job. You landed two good guys. I would be jealous, but well..." She blushed slightly. "I have my own partner. Besides, I don't swing that way." I grinned, nodding. She and I had talked about this before. She knew I was an ally and leader to the LGTBQIA+ community, as well as a YouTuber. I had even gotten her a few autographs from her personal favorite people. She turned her attention back to Jack. "Now, Jack, I see you had a full blood work up done earlier this week. Have you filled out the patient history form for me yet? I need you to take a few minutes to do that while I go over the results to decide how to proceed, if you haven't."

Jack took the form and looked at it closely. "No. I haven't done this one yet. Love, can ye come help me?" I slid over and sat down on the patient bed next to him, cuddled close as we went over the papers. I reminded him of a few things as he went, but mostly I just snuggled him, keeping him calm as he worked. He smiled at me when he finished and kissed me softly. "Thank ye love. Can ye hand this back ta tha doctor now?" 

I grinned and handed it over, then sat back down next to Jack, hugging him close. Dr. Gabe went over everything nodding to herself at most of the information, or stopping to ask a question or two to clear something up. When she was done entering everything on the computer, she smiled at us. "Well, Jack, this definitely gives us a few places to start looking for why you're having these issues. First, let's get an EKG. I can set that up right now, and we will have the results before you leave today. Next, I want to rule out any kidney issues. I noticed on your blood work ups, your creatine levels were a little off. And you are mildly anemic, so you are going to have to take some Iron supplements. Both of those things could be caused by a kidney infection, which could cause your blood pressure to elevate. That can cause your heart rate to skyrocket. It's kind of a vicious cycle." She chuckled a little to herself. "So here's what we're going to do. I'm going to perform the EKG, which is just a fancy heart monitor, where I attach a few leads to your chest and back, with my high power machine, and I'm going to have you walk on a treadmill for a few minutes, nothing too exhausting. After that, if the results are what I think they are going to be, I'm going to write a prescription for some antibiotics and a few vitamins for you to take. Follow up with your regular doctor in two weeks. If your blood pressure is still high then, call the office and we will set up some further tests."

Jack looked relieved and nodded. The doctor got the EKG test going and tested Jack at rest, then on a treadmill for about five minutes. She nodded and had Jack put his shirt back on. He came over and cuddled into me, shivering slightly. I smiled and rested my head on his chest, curling tight into him. Jack hugged me then looked at the doctor again. "So, what does this mean, Doctor? Is my heart tha problem, after all?"

Dr. Gabe smiled. "Well, Jack, from what I can tell, your heart is fine. Your blood pressure issue is putting a strain on your heart. I think you have a kidney infection or possibly either a small cyst or some kind of kidney stones. Any of those issues could cause high blood pressure and are easily missed. Now, I noticed you shivering. Are you cold?" 

Jack nodded. "A bit. I have been for a few days now, when I'm not snuggled inta my family."

Dr. Gabe smiled kindly. "That's not uncommon if you have an infection, or for that matter, anemia. You Iron levels aren't too bad, but they are definitely low, another indicator you might be having some kidney problems. Any problems with urination? Like you have too go all the time, or you noticed it smells stronger than normal or is darker or lighter in color? Or does it hurt to go?"

Jack blushed and shook his head. I stayed quiet, hugging him close, trying to help him stay calm as the doctor asked him the questions she needed to in order to help her diagnose is issues. Eventually she sighed and nodded, handing Jack some papers to look over and informing him she was sending the prescriptions for him to the pharmacy. Then she moved on to me. My checkup was fast. She pulled out the ultrasound machine and looked my heart over, smiling at the strong, steady beats. I was given a clean bill of health and Jack and I headed home, stopping to get his medications on the way. We explained everything to the family When we got home, and I noticed how tired both Jack and Mark looked. I smiled and made them lay down on the couch, cuddling both of them. The girls came out and piled on and soon all of us were fast asleep, our exhausted bodies trying to recover, heal, or grow up strong, in the case of the girls. After our naps, the rest of the day was spent in quiet snuggle mode, with stories and a family movie night. I helped Jack get Mark washed up and in bed when we were all tired again, after the grandmas put the girls to bed. The guys and I fell asleep quickly, barely making it properly under the covers.

Tyler helped Mark get into the shower the next morning, where Jack and I helped him wash up. After we were all clean, we dressed and ate some breakfast. Jack helped Mark into the wheelchair and out to his office. I helped him record a few videos and we worked on editing them until Mark fell asleep, cuddling me. That was how Jack found us when he came back looking for us to remind us we had to go get ready for my doctor's appointment with Dr. Sara. Jack gently woke Mark up and wheeled him back to the bedroom, getting him ready. I slipped off and got myself ready as well, brushing my hair, putting my shoes on, and grabbing my purse while I waited by the front door. Before long we were all three in the car, headed for Dr. Sara's office. When we arrived, the nurse checked us in and we were brought back to the exam room almost immediately. Dr. Sara smiled at me as she came in, then did a double take when she saw Mark. "Oh my goodness! What happened here?"

Mark blushed. "Well, um, I managed to knock a bookcase down on myself and got pretty banged up. But I'm okay. Thanks for asking, I think."

I smiled at Mark and leaned over, kissing him on the cheek. He smiled back at me. Jack wrapped his arms around me and scooted his chair closer. Dr. Sara chuckled. "Okay, if everyone is settled now?" We all nodded. "Good. I got the blood test results back. [Y/N], the anemia and Vitamin D deficiencies are clearing up nicely. Keep taking the extra vitamins. How are you feeling now? Is the dizziness any better? How about the nausea?"

I grinned. "They are both clearing up. Actually, I stopped taking the anti-nausea medicine yesterday and only took the dizziness medicine once, last night. I think I'm past the first trimester, and the worst of the morning sickness is over." I patted my ever growing baby bump "These little beans certainly made me sick though. I'm just glad that parts over."

Dr. Sara smiled and nodded. "Good, good. that puts you right on track for where you should be at thirteen weeks. Since you have so many babies in there, you will probably start feeling them move in the next few days or weeks. If you don't feel them moving by the time you come in for the next appointment, let me know. It's not something to worry about, but we can get a more detailed ultrasound to make sure everyone in there is developing properly. And we can check out everybody's genders while we're getting those pictures." The guys and I grinned. I was excited to see the new pictures and find out what our new babies were going to be so we could get the nursery painting done and make sure we had the baby clothes we needed. With twice the number of babies, I knew we were going to need more of everything. The fans were once again flooding our PO boxes with baby gifts, but many of them told us they were going to hold off until they knew whether we were having more girls, some boys and some girls, or all boys. Quite frankly, I had mixed feelings. I would love to have a few sons, and knew Jack and Mark would as well, but I knew, from what other Moms had said and I had seen from my nephew and friends babies, that little girls were easier, in some ways. No surprise showers when changing diapers. Usually they were a little easier on clothes. Potty training was often easier. And later, girls tended to go through less food. But I would love to have sons too, to geek out with, even as much as I could geek out with daughters, possibly over different things. So I was torn. Dr. Sara regained my attention as she wrapped up the appointment. "So, you three already know most of this stuff from when the last pregnancy with your gorgeous little princesses. But, I have to ask, do any of you have any questions or concerns you need answered before I see you next? And can you come in on October Thirtieth at two? I can have the 3D ultrasound machine available then, and I will gladly take a video of the regular ultrasound for you then as well, if you want."

Jack and Mark both nodded happily. I smiled. "Yeah, that would be fantastic. And I don't think we have any questions right now. I'm just trying to make sure I keep warm, rest as much as I can, and take care of myself. I'm hoping I can avoid being bedbound for as long as possible."

Dr. Sara nodded. "You do a good job and know what to watch for, so you might be able to manage most, if not all but the last month or so. I think you should even be able to make it through Christmas. Just go easy and if something feels off, give me a call. Oh, one more thing. No flying after the start of December this year. By then, you'll be over twenty one weeks along and with octuplets, that's just too risky. You should be okay to fly out for Thanksgiving though, if you want to visit anyone."

I sighed and nodded, then bit my lip. "What about long car trips? My family, and Mark's, live on the East coast. Could we drive out to visit them? I mean, obviously, we would have to stop and rest a lot, but would it be harmful to me, if we wanted to try?"

Dr. Sara grinned. "It would be rough, but you should be okay. At least in the beginning of the month. I want you back here by Christmas, or no later than January fourth. Those little ones might get here early, and they might even try to escape too soon. If you can get to the hospital soon enough, we might be able to stop your labor if it's too soon and keep them in there, where they belong. You know the drill."

I nodded. Dr. Sara printed out the summary of the visit, shook my hand, and ended the visit. I looked at the guys as we left. "So, we need to make some plans about the holidays now, guys. Who's families do we visit? And who do we disappoint? Jack, I know we usually go to Ireland for Christmas, with your folks." I leaned into him, hugging him and waiting to see what he had to say. 

Jack looked at me, nerves and concern playing across his face, chasing the smile he had been wearing about the babies away. "Love, we might need ta wait on that. My VISA issues might be more of tha pressing concern. Ye know my VISA will expire on December first. If it does, how will ye fly over ta Ireland with me?"

I kissed him. "Simple, silly. If legal can't get it worked out, we'll just all head over at Thanksgiving. I'll tell Dr. Sara and get set up with a new OB/GYN in Ireland, closer to your parents house. After the babies get here, we can worry about getting everyone back stateside when we need to. Or moving wherever we decide to settle more permanently, if it looks like that will be too big an obstacle. And I plan to drag the International community in as much as possible, by vlogging, Tweeting, and posting across all our social media as many updates as I can. I think we should meet with legal in the next few weeks and see what's going on. If things look at all grim, we can start the campaign then. Somehow, I suspect we might be more effective than legal, if we put our collective fanbases and International celebrity behind this." Jack's smile came back with my words. He leaned in and kissed me as well. I grabbed his hand, holding it close and staying leaned into him. Suddenly, I felt it. The first fluttering movements of the babies. I stilled and moved both my hands to my baby bump, dragging Jack's hand along with mine just because I forgot to let it go. 

Mark saw my wide eyed look. "Babe? Are you okay?" I nodded, fighting back the tears. He smiled. "I think I remember that look. Did you just feel the babies move?"

I nodded again. "Yeah. Just a little fluttering, but I definitely felt it." I went over to Mark's side and leaned down, careful of his ribs and arm, and kissed him, long, deep, and sweetly. He blushed brightly, not expecting my enthusiasm in public. "I love you Mark." Mark swallowed thickly and just nodded. I smiled then turned back to Jack. "You too Sean. Come here." I held out my arms, staying on the arm of the wheelchair. Mark had his good hand resting on my baby bump again. Jack came over willingly and snuggled back into my side. I kissed him as well, making him blush as brightly as Mark. "This is amazing. Guys, I'm so happy right now! I mean, I know things are unsettled for all of us, between one thing and another, but I think our lives are definitely moving in the right direction. Now, let's go home and record something with the girls. I think it's time for another baby bump video, and then maybe just another family night, with snuggling and stories. What do you two think?"

Mark and Jack both smiled and nodded. "That sounds perfect, love. Ye always know what would be best, somehow. Maybe we could stop and get some Chinese takeout for dinner too. Then no one has ta cook and all our parents can just have tha night off."

I nodded and we headed to our favorite Chinese restaurant, placing a very large to go order. We waited quietly for the food, discussing the babies. I carried it out to the car when it was ready, Jack helping Mark get in while I put the food in the back seat with him. And that was exactly how we spent the afternoon and evening, just relaxing with the girls, filming a baby bump update with them, then I read to them for the rest of the evening, until they all fell asleep in my lap or snuggled into my sides. Jack and I carried them up to bed (with Pa's help -- he carried Tiana, Jack had Dani and Steph, and I carried Sammi) where we tucked them all in, still sleeping, and kissed them goodnight. They didn't wake back up until morning. Pa and the grandma's decided to go out for a night on the town after that, so Jack, Mark, and I headed to bed to cuddle, taking our computers with us. We ended up gaming for a while as well, then all fell asleep, happy, tired, and ready to face whatever was coming next, or so we hoped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, _**Dancing To The Beat Of The Rain**_ chapter has been delayed. I've hit a small mental roadblock on that story, BUT my Jack X Reader _**Night Breezes Seem To Whisper 'I Love You'**_ will be getting a lot more updates for a while. Inspiration has struck and I have things planned out ahead for once on that story, like 20 or 30 chapters worth of stuff. o.O I'm never this organized. Anyway, I still have a lot of doctor appointments this month, so things are hectic, but I will be squeezing in as many updates as I can. Oh, and feel free to toss me ideas! That's why _**Night Breezes**_ is getting updates. I got some inspiration for a reader suggestion and my brain took off and ran with it. :) (Thank you again Ieva!!) I have the next twenty-ish chapters outlined in the notes for the update of that story, which should be coming out as the next update (Hopefully in the next few days), then I will try to get a chapter of my Mark X Reader out, or one for this story again, depending on inspiration.
> 
> Oh, and my editing project is FINISHED!! A few of the older stories need a full rewrite, which I doubt I will do right now, but I did fix the editing errors. :) Hopefully this will make going back to look at the older stuff easier for me as well as easier for new readers and re-readers alike. (Hey, I do that in my spare time for my favorite stories too...)
> 
> Sorry for the delays on my writing right now. I had several unexpected things come up, including a car accident (no one was hurt badly, but my mother's car was totaled), extra medical treatments, and an unplanned surgery, that happened yesterday (Friday, April 21st). Once that settles down, maybe life will get back to normal for me. Ha, maybe I will actually get back to a faster update schedule in a few months time... Somewhat doubtful right now, but maybe. It still probably won't be daily posting, just because my chapters are two to three times longer, on average, than they were last summer when I was posting every day. It takes longer to write that much, but I am usually happier with the end result. 
> 
> And as always, I do take requests for short stories. Sometimes I need a short break to get over writer's block on what I've got going now, so shooting me an idea to run with, or a request of something you really want to see is not going to change my updates on my other works much. Oh, and feel free to bug me about getting something out, especially if I go quiet for more than a few days at a time. Sometimes I just get lazy and need a kick in the pants to get off YouTube or Netflix and back to writing. XD (I 'rack a disaprine.')


	25. Felix's birthday *

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to help Felix celebrate his birthday. Also, what plans will you all be making for Halloween?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoa nelly. Well, all I can say is JacOfAllTrades(JMHarper/JOAT), you asked for more sexy times, so here you go... 
> 
> Remember: NO KINK SHAMING!!!
> 
> \--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

With the end of the first trimester, much of my exhaustion cleared up, so by the second week of October, I was feeling almost back to my old self, if somewhat larger and slightly off- balance due to the size of my baby bump. The girls were all fascinated with watching my ever- expanding waistline, hoping to see the first kicks or surface movements of their new siblings. They insisted on kissing the babies every chance they got, and at least every night when they were giving out bedtime kisses. It was sweet and adorable. Jack was finally starting to get his heart rate and blood pressure back down. Apparently he had developed cysts on both kidneys, completely unnoticed, but the antibiotics were slowly helping get rid of them, along with a few other medicines. It did mean Jack was almost as cold as I was much of the time though, so we spent a lot of time huddled together, under as many blankets as we could gather, snuggling close, trying to warm each other up. Mark was still healing as well. His headaches were bad for the first two weeks of October, but by the middle of the month they had started to lessen and his dizziness was finally getting a little better too.

In general, life was back on a more even keel for all of us by the time Felix's birthday rolled around. I had invited him over, along with any guests he wanted to invite, for a small party that I was making the food for. Ma and Pa were still visiting, for another week or two at least, but Mom, Momiplier, and Dee had all flown home the previous week, to take care of things there. Mom was still saying she might very well move out here in the near future, but she was waiting to see how things went with Jack's VISA. Ma and Pa were waiting to go home until after my next doctor’s appointment and we had the chance to meet with legal and make some decisions. As things stood now, the day before Felix's birthday and a week before my next baby doctor visit, nothing had been decided. I was currently sitting on the couch, next to both my lovely boyfriends, a pad of paper on my lap, planning a few things for what I needed to get done in the next week or so, including planning a Halloween party for all the kids in our lives and attending Arin's and Suzy's annual party. We had gotten the invitation, through Dan, last weekend and all agreed we would love to go. Wade and Tyler had even worked out how to get Mark up to the apartment, so he wouldn't be left out. I smiled softly to myself, feeling the babies roll, and turned back to my list, forcing myself to focus. Jack and Mark were supposed to be helping, but in reality they were just rubbing my baby belly and watching the girls play at our feet. I sighed. "Okay, Jack, Mark, we have a lot to do, hopefully by the end of the month here, so I need the two of you to focus and help me, please. We need to make some plans." 

Mark turned his head to look at me. "What were we supposed to be planning, again babe?" 

I rolled my eyes. "What we need to do for Halloween, what our costumes will be, what the girls costumes will be, what food we're going to have, both for Felix's party tomorrow night, and the kids Halloween party next Friday, after my doctor's appointment, and we need to make some decisions about what to do and what to ask legal, regarding Jack's VISA." I turned to look at Jack, who had started shivering when I mentioned his immigration issue. "Sweetie, I think we need to make a few backup plans, just in case we have to leave the country. Like maybe hiring you a personal editor, to be the head of your editing team, whether or not you stay with the show. We could look for someone who would handle the majority of that for you, with my help, and yours maybe, without them having anything to do with the TV stuff. We would hire them on directly. And they could work with the show editors if things do work out, becoming the head of your team, a kind of second in command, the way Danica is for me. Does that sound okay?" 

Jack looked at me, chewing his lip nervously. "Yeah, I think that would work. Lass, I have a few people in mind ta try and see if they are available for tha job, but I'd really like yer input as well. Ye know almost as much about my channel as I do and are nearly as active on it." He smiled a little. "What about ye and Mark though? If we have ta leave tha show, I mean." 

I chuckled. "Well, sweetie, I'm going to make Danica an offer, if the show doesn't just try to get her to take over my job. I'd love to keep working with her, and it's not like we'd need to be in the same place to work together. We already have all the framework for what would need to be done in place. Also, I still do a lot of my own editing. Besides, I think maybe we should hire a few people for Mark, and maybe they could edit for me occasionally as well, if I'm not up to the editing part and am still recording things. I know a couple of people who I'm thinking about approaching for that job, if Mark agrees and they are a good fit, which I think they will be, which is why I have them in mind. I have one or two in mind for you as well Jack, if the people you're thinking of pass for whatever reason." 

Jack nodded and hugged me. "Good. Maybe we even have tha same people in mind, love." 

I chuckled. "It wouldn't surprise me. The ones I am thinking of for you are animators, and they've all made videos based off your stuff in the past." Jack grinned and nodded. 

Mark leaned into me, resting his head on my shoulder and stretching out his bad leg, lifting it onto the back of the bean bags we has setup so he could prop his foot up. I looked at him, an eyebrow raised. "Who do you have in mind for me, baby? And I think this is a really, really good idea. Maybe we should set up a small business to hire these people, to make paying them easier." 

I smiled. "Good idea, Mark. We could get a manager for the company as well, to handle merchandising, PR, payroll and taxes, and any other staffing issues. Maybe I could pass some of the personal appearance and convention booking stuff to them as well. That would make my life a lot easier. Although, with all that, we might need two people. We'll have to see, I guess." One of the babies kicked out, a strong kick, the first I had really felt this pregnancy, on Jack's side of my bump. His eyes got huge and he looked down at my tummy, moving his hand to the spot. I smiled. "Well, Daddy, someone's finally ready to say hello. Girls?" All four girls, who had been playing at our feet, looked at me. "Daddy just felt one of the babies kick for the first time. Do you want to come see if they will do it again? Give me your hands, please." I gently took a hand from everybody, including taking Mark's good hand, and guided them all to the spot where the baby had kicked, gently tapping my own hand on the spot. The results were instant and dramatic. Two of the babies struck out, quite firmly, with more than one foot or hand. The girls all stared, completely awed, and squealed. I smiled, letting go of their hands. Mark looked nearly as awed as the girls, a huge smile on his face. Jack leaned in closer to me and kissed me gently. 

"Thank ye for sharing this with us, love. I'm so happy and excited about these babies. Ye know that, I hope." I smiled and leaned into Jack a little more, nodding. He grinned. "Good. Ye mean a lot ta all of us, but these little ones are going ta be great too, if they are anything like our sweet little princesses or their perfect Momma." 

I blushed just a little. Sammi looked up at me after a minute. "Momma, does it hurt ye when tha babies kick ye?" 

I smiled reassuringly down at her, stroking her hair gently with one hand. "Not right now, sweet pea. The babies are too tiny to hurt me yet. When they get bigger, when they have less room in my tummy to move, they might hurt me by accident, kicking me in the ribs, or kicking the air out of my lungs. You girls all did that, but it wasn't something you could control, and I didn't blame you. Papa and Daddy had to help calm you down though, sometimes. Usually it was by rubbing my belly and talking, or occasionally singing, to all of you. They helped take good care of me." 

Sammi nodded, looking thoughtful. "Momma, I's sorry we kicked ye. We love ye. Ye's a good Momma. We can hewp ye with our sibings. 'Speciwy, if Papa and Daddy aren't here with ye." She smiled brightly at me, then leaned forward and kissed my belly. " 'Kay babies. Time ta take a nap. We wove ye, but ye need ta grow big and strong, so ye need wots and wots of sweep. Just wike us, yer big sisters. There's four of us out here, ta hewp take care of ye when ye get here, awong with Momma, Daddy, and Papa. They's good. *Mwah!* Nigh-night. Sweep tight. We l-love ye." She wrapped her arms as far around my baby bump as she could reach, hugging me close. Tiana and Dani piled in on the hug too, adding their own kisses then all three of them went back to their toys. Stephanie watched, her thumb in her mouth, then settled herself on Jack's lap as we continued to talk. She was watching my belly intently for any further movement. 

Jack reached down and stroked a hand down her hair absentmindedly as we talked. "So ye have some plans in tha works, in case my VISA isn't renewed. Now, besides tha editor issue, what do we need ta do?" 

"Meet with legal at the beginning of the week next week. Both of us should go, to remind them we're a team on this. Depending on what they say, the Internet campaign will either start the next day, or we can tweet out things are resolved and film a vlog about it. I know my dual citizenship has gone through though." I sighed and looked at Mark. "Sweetheart, is your passport still current?" 

Mark blinked and nodded. I smiled at him. Jack chuckled quietly. "One less thing ye have ta worry about love. Okay, what else?" 

I looked at my list. "Well, we still have to make plans about Thanksgiving and the holidays." I snuggled into Jack's side a little more, shifting so I was more comfortable under the blankets. "But we need to wait those until after we hear what legal has to say. I wish we could just fly to Ireland for Christmas again, but I know what Dr. Sara said and I'm not taking any chances with my health or these babies." I rubbed a hand down my tummy, along the side where Mark was sitting with a smile on my face. "Maybe we could see if everyone could come out here? I mean, traveling with me being so pregnant, the girls, and Mark, with his medical issues, would be pretty brutal." I pulled on my lower lip, thinking hard. 

Jack reached up and pulled my hand away, kissing the tips of my fingers softly. "Calm down love. We'll work this out. Tha family all understands about yer health coming first and just wants ye ta be safe. No doubt they will be on board for whatever ye plan, if ye ask early enough. Hell, Malcolm would fly over with his family, and he's tha hardest ta arrange things with, if we asked him ta, soon. I know, in tha past he hasn't been able ta make it out here, except for tha one visit, over tha summer, just after tha girls were born and ye had yer surgery, but he already told me, in an email, if ye need him ta travel here for tha family Christmas, he will." Jack's smile was soft and joy-filled. "He likes ye, a lot, if ye didn't notice. And so do Pearl and Dylan. And Val." 

I smiled and leaned over, kissing Jack's cheek. "Good. I like them too." 

Jack chuckled. "Yeah, ye won them over, nearly as fast as ye won me over. And Pearl is tough ta win over, usually." 

I chuckled. "She was easy. Dylan was a harder nut to crack, but I think I managed that okay." 

Jack laughed as well. "Ye sure did. Ye know, he talks ta ye more than anyone else in tha family. I mean, when he Skype's, it's always ta ye, and he usually tries ta talk ta ye at least every two weeks. How did ye manage that?" 

I giggled. "Well, for one thing, I'm a really good listener and I just let him talk about whatever he wants. He knows I don't blab either, so he's asked me lots of questions about all kinds of things. And I don't treat him like a little kid, or expect him to know the answers to everything. He can talk to me, without any judgement on my part, about things he's afraid to ask the rest of the family. Sometimes, it's personal stuff, but sometimes he just wants advice about things like school or book recommendations, or help with figuring out how to improve his editing and animation skills." I couldn't help smiling as Jack looked startled. 

"He asks ye personal questions? Like what, love?" 

I kissed Jack's earlobe. "That would be telling, love. I promised him I wouldn't share unless he told me I could. Don't worry. It was nothing bad. He just wanted to know more about me and about women in general, mostly. He had a few questions about sex that he was too embarrassed to ask his parents, or from what he said, anyone else. He wanted to know how I knew you and Mark were right for me. And, yes, he did tell me I could tell you about those conversations." 

Jack looked gobsmacked. Mark chuckled, making me look over at him. He was grinning cheekily at us both. "Dylan's smart. We're close enough to family to ask these things without making him uncomfortable, but not blood related so he's less icked out by it. He's asked me a few sex questions too, but not many. He is fourteen after all." 

I nodded. "Yeah. And he emails me a lot, knowing the time difference makes it hard to get on the phone sometimes. Or he was too embarrassed to ask the questions he had out loud. You should see some of them, lordy loo. But I try to answer everything as honestly as I can. I have told him a few things were private and none of his business, but not too often." 

Ma had walked up behind us, unnoticed. "Good on ye. Dylan needs that. Lord knows he won't ask his own Dad, and he's never asked Pa or I anything either. Ye're sensible enough ta know what he should wait ta learn until he's a wee bit more mature too." 

I blushed, then cackled, looking at Jack and Mark. "Well, then I think maybe some things should be kept from these two as well." 

Ma laughed with me as both men blushed and ducked their heads. Mark whined. "Why are you picking on me, now? What did I do?" 

I looked at him, still grinning. "Well, I can name a few things, if you want. But mostly I'm just teasing sweetheart. Stop whining. You know it doesn't work on me." 

Stephanie looked up at me and grinned, nodding. "Yeah. Momma's too smart ta fall for that, Papa. It just makes her mad. And ye don't want ta make her mad, right?" 

Mark looked down at our daughter, blushing even more. "Why are the women in my life always right?" He sighed. "No, Steph, I don't want to make Momma mad. I'm not stupid." I looked at him, raising a teasing eyebrow. He amended his statement. "Well, not usually. Not about some things." 

We all chuckled softly as Stephanie nodded her head, sucking her thumb again and yawning hugely. She went back to watching my baby bump, which was actually a little more interesting than it had been until recently, since the babies were moving around now and my skin was rippling very faintly. Jack stroked her hair and rubbed her back again as she curled in closer to him, almost mesmerized by the movement of the babies. She fell asleep like that just a moment later, her mouth falling open slightly and her thumb dangling loosely from her lips. Ma came around and picked her up, whisking her off to her bed for a nap. Tiana followed, rubbing her eyes, carrying a book. We watched them go, pride and love clear on our faces. I looked down at Dani and Sammi, who were looking tired, but were far more awake than their sisters had been. "Girls? Do you want to take a nap? You can go upstairs and Daddy and I will read to you, or you can curl up on the couch and snuggle with one of us if you want." 

They looked at each other. Dani nodded at me. "Pwease, Momma. A nap with ye and Papa and Daddy. Aw of ye, cuddling us, together. And could ye sing us a song?" 

I sighed. "Hang on baby. Let's get everybody settled first. Papa, you lay down first and prop up your leg. Next, I'll lay down. Daddy, do you have room?" 

Jack grinned and picked me up, settling into the couch with me and Mark in his lap. He leaned back after pressing gentle kisses into both our mouths. "I'm good right here love. Ye just relax. Girls, do ye want ta snuggle next ta me?" 

Both of them looked at us. Sammi looked sad. "Momma, I wants ta snuggwe ye, but with Papa there, there's no room." 

I sat up, pulling her close. "I'm sorry baby. Momma's tummy is taking up a lot more space now that the babies are really starting to grow. How about Papa and Daddy take one couch and Momma takes the other. Then everybody can lay down. Sammi, you can snuggle me. Dani, you can snuggle between Daddy and Papa. How's that sound to everyone?" 

All four of them looked a little sad, but readily agreed. We all got comfy and curled up under our blankets. I sang a song, very softly and wasn't surprised that both girls were asleep before I finished. Mark fell asleep too. Jack was smiling at everyone, looking sleepy. "Thank ye for looking after us love. Ye do such a good job and make our lives so much better." 

I held a finger to my lips. "Shh. It's nap time, Sean. You too. Close those beautiful blue eyes of yours and relax. We're all here, safe and happy. The rest of our planning and conversations can wait." I smiled as he obediently closed his eyes. I started humming a quiet tune, an old Irish lullaby my grandfather used to sing me when I was little, drawing a smile from Jack as he drifted off to sleep. As soon as I heard his soft, snuffling snore, the counterpoint to Mark's gentle sleep sounds, I grinned, slowly stopping my humming. Pa came in a few minutes later, grinned and silently lifting Sammi up, resting her on his shoulder without waking her, then picked up Dani the same way, taking them upstairs to their beds. I winked at him as he left, then sat up and grabbed my list again, not feeling at all tired myself. I worked out the details for the birthday bash for Felix and my plans for the kids Halloween party. By the time I was done, Ma and Pa had come back in the room and settled in chairs, Pa reading a book and Ma knitting something. 

After a few moments of quiet, Ma looked at me. "Lass, ye should be napping too. Ye need yer rest for tha wee babbies yer growing." 

I chuckled, looking ruefully at her. "I'm really not tired right now. You have to know by now, I'm usually bubbling over with energy. And ever since I hit the second trimester, my usual energy levels are back. I know Jack and Mark need more rest right now, since both of them are healing, so I was humoring them and getting the girls to nap. I doubt I'll be tired before bedtime tonight, if I even am then. So I'll just stay sitting here and plan. Both the guys will be satisfied that I'm okay, and I can still get things done this way. We have a lot that we need to figure out between now and say, Christmas. I'm worried about Jack's VISA issues." 

Ma nodded, temporarily setting her knitting aside to come sit next to me and hug me close. She kissed my forehead. "Ye'll figure this out lass. Ye know Pa and I will do everything we can ta help ye from our end too, if things don't go tha way they should. Ye, tha girls, Mark, and Jack are always welcome at our house." 

I nodded, smiling, and leaned into her, resting my head against hers. The babies started rolling and kicking again, making me smile softly and I suddenly realized Ma and Pa hadn't felt the movement yet. I grabbed Ma's hand and rested it on my baby bump, next to where the most activity seemed to be at the moment. Ma grinned hugely. "Can you feel your grandbabies, Ma? Jack felt them kick out earlier, which I shared with the girls and Mark at the time. That's why Stephanie was staring at my belly until she fell asleep." I looked over at Pa. "Pa, if you want to feel the first movements, come on over. I don't mind sharing." 

Pa grinned and got up, heading for me eagerly. He felt the babies for a few minutes then kissed my cheek. "Thank ye lass. Now, I'm going to go back ta my book for a bit." 

I nodded, smiling happily. Ma sighed and got up, heading back to her knitting project. I looked at the guys, curled into each other sweetly, smiles on both of their faces, and got up, placing gentle kisses on both of their lips, taking care not to disturb them, then heading to the kitchen for a snack and drink. I took my food and drink back to the living room and settled back onto the couch, resuming my planning and just thinking. I started thinking about the babies and flipped the page on my pad of paper, writing down some possible baby names to go over with Jack and Mark later. I knew it was still early to start thinking about names, but I was excited and couldn't help myself. My list grew and grew as I continued to think, knowing certain names didn't work together. By the time Jack woke up, an hour and a half later, I was daydreaming about the babies, a long list of names in hand. He smiled sleepily at me for a minute, then looked at Mark, still curled in tight next to him, fast asleep and snuffling faintly in his sleep. I wasn't surprised when Jack reached out and stroked Mark's cheek, very gently, then pressed a few soft kisses onto Mark's lips. Jack sighed happily, not moving or shifting from where he was, closing his eyes again for a moment. 

Mark's eyes fluttered open when Jack sighed and closed his eyes. Mark looked surprisingly happy and in no pain as he reached over and cupped Jack's cheek in his good hand. Jack opened his eyes again and smiled, leaning into Mark's touch. "Hey sexy. Are you feeling any better than you have been lately?" 

Jack smiled at Mark's comment. "Ye're tha sexy one, Mark. And yes, I'm feeling loads better than I was for a while. I'm still cold and tired when I don't snuggle with ye or one of tha family and take extra naps though." He turned his head slightly, pressing a gentle kiss into Mark's palm. "I love ye, Markimoo. Thank ye for holding me close as we slept." 

I chuckled softly. Both men raised their eyes and looked at me. "You two are so sweet together, especially right now. Jack, before you say anything that might embarrass you later, you might want to know Ma and Pa are sitting in the armchairs just behind that couch." I stood up, walking over to the two men, then bending down and kissing both of them before straightening back up. "And both of you were right. You're both incredibly sexy, handsome men. If you don't believe me, just look at your social media replies or ask the fans of our channels." 

Jack grabbed my hand, stopping me from walking away. "Lass, ye're fantastically sexy too. And smart, funny, gorgeous. Ye have tha power ta melt both our brains completely with just a look or word." He smiled and sighed. "Now, where did tha girls run off ta? Tha playroom?" 

I shook my head, slightly amused and very turned on by his words. I looked Jack in the eye, making sure he knew what he was doing to me. "They are all tucked in for naps, upstairs in their beds. Pa took Sammi and Dani up." 

Jack read my look with a wink at me, raising an eyebrow afterwards. He pitched his voice so everyone could hear him, instead of the hushed, almost whisper we had been chatting in. "Do ye want ta go lay down on tha bed and cuddle with Mark and I for a bit, lass? Ye look cold, and tha bed is tha most comfortable place for all of us ta stretch out. Maybe we can get a little more sleep too. Mark and I would be happy ta join ye, if that's what ye want ta do." The look Jack was sending me promised a lot more than cuddles, making my blood run hot and my insides melt. I nodded wordlessly. Jack kissed my hand, which he was still holding, releasing as he spoke up again. "Okay, ye go get comfy then. I'll help Mark inta tha bedroom and we'll join ye in just a moment. All right?" 

I nodded and scampered off for the bedroom, closing the door behind me and stripping all my clothes off as soon as the latch caught. I slid under the blankets with a shiver, both of anticipation and because I was cold, even though I was still highly turned on. Mark and Jack came in just as I got settled, the blankets tucked up to my chin. Jack blinked for a minute, then saw my clothes laying on the floor and grinned hugely. He pointed them out to Mark in a deep sexy voice. "Looks like someone wants ta play with us, Markimoo. Are ye feeling up ta it? We'll go slow and gentle if ye want ta play too. If not, ye can just watch for now." 

Mark's eyes widened, almost comically. "B-babe?" I looked at him, a look of pure lust. He swallowed convulsively. Then he reached down and started taking his shirt off, one handed, being very careful of his injuries. Jack grinned and started helping him. I watched them strip for several moments. When Jack helped the now naked Mark over to the bed, I was waiting, gently guiding Mark under the covers until Jack could finish getting ready. Mark groaned, low and sexy as I rubbed against his side, my swollen breasts pressing into his good arm, my mouth already wandering along his collarbone and neck, licking, nipping, and kissing him thoroughly. Mark immediately turned to putty in my hands, panting, begging for more with his eyes. I ran my hands all over his body, almost worshipfully, stopping to caress his scars, smooth a hand over his stomach, and of course, stroking his dick. He whimpered slightly when I drew my hand back, clearly wanting more. I smiled and leaned over, kissing him full on the mouth. He appeared to forget everything else as he melted into the kiss, his eyes closing, a look of pure blissed out pleasure on his face. Jack had been watching everything I was doing and stripping all his clothes off. He growled out a almost frustrated sound, seeing the kiss. When I pulled away from Mark to let both of us catch our breaths, Jack grabbed me and pulled me close, scattering kisses all over my neck, chest, and shoulders. His dick was hard and pressed tightly into my hip, and I could feel him throbbing slightly. I moved, sliding over his cock in one long movement. He choked on the cry that had struggled to escape, biting it back by burying his face in my shoulder and sucking a small hickey. Jack whimpered and bucked into me, seeking release, more stimulation, something, anything. I let out a breathy mewling sound, unable to do anything but feel. Mark's sudden kiss on my shoulder drew me back to him, guiding Jack over as well. Jack reached out for me, whining low in his throat. I looked at him with heavy eyelids. "Lass, I need... I need more. I want ye ta bend over and let me do ye doggie style. Ye can suck on Mark's dick for a bit, make him feel as good as ye're making me feel." He shivered and bucked into my heat again, losing control. "Or let's both move and Mark can help me, finger me open until I'm ready then fill me up while I ride ye until we're all satisfied." Jack looked at Mark, love, trust, and lust radiating off him. "Like tha opposite of what we did that day at tha office. I'll be extra careful of yer ribs, Mark. If ye want ta do this, that is." 

I groaned. "Please, Sean. Move. Or let me change positions. The slight grinding you're doing now is torture. And I'm close, so close." 

Mark laughed, a soft, sweet, rumble directly behind me. It made me heat up even more. I was starting to feel like a column of pure fire. His voice, so low and sexy when he spoke right now, was doing things to me. "Sean, if you want to ride me, I'll help you out. But if you just want to bring our lovely girlfriend over the edge, repeatedly, I'll happily just watch. You both look so sexy, sound so sexy, it's getting to me. I could probably cum untouched just watching today." He swallowed thickly. 

Jack raised an eyebrow, stilling inside me for a moment, letting me catch my breath, make my head stop spinning. "Is that what ye want Mark? Ta watch us push each over tha edge, orgasm after orgasm, knowing how we would feel around ye, under ye, all tha while untouched and unable ta touch yerself? Because we could do that, if ye want." Mark bit his lip and nodded. Jack slid out of me, extracting a small moan from my lips, as he turned to our nightstand and the special drawer we had there. He pulled out some velvet ties and handed them to me, indicating Mark. I smiled and nodded. Mark watched me as I carefully, very mindful of his healing body, tied his hands together, then to the sling he was still wearing, even to sleep in, the only piece of clothing or cover he still had on. Once I was done, I double checked he was comfortable, which he agreed he was, and gently reached over Jack for the drawer, withdrawing a few items of my own. One was a gag. I gently put it in Mark's mouth, making sure he could breathe easily around it, to keep him quiet while we played. He seemed almost eager to see what else was about to happen. I turned my attention back to Jack. He was watching me, a possessive and highly sexual look in his eyes. He was so turned on, the blue of his eyes was nearly swallowed up and what was visible had dramatically darkened. "Come here love. I want ye, so much I can barely stand it." 

I smiled, almost ferally, and leaned close, whispering to him. "Patience, Sean. I have somethings I want to try. Especially since you seem so eager. Trust me and lean back, okay?" 

Jack's nod was immediate and curt, but he laid back and shifted into a comfortable position, on his side, watching me. I grinned and grabbed the second item I had pulled from the drawer, a blindfold, and very gently tied it on Jack's face. He growled slightly. "What are ye doing, lass? I want ta see ye fall apart in my arms." 

I chuckled. "Lover, you need to trust me. I swear, you'll like everything I'm doing. Just focus on what you feel, what you can hear. Listen to Mark falling apart watching us, unable to touch either of us or himself. Hear the moans you extract from me. Feel the texture of my skin against you as we come back together. Taste my mouth when I kiss you. You know how all these things look, you've seen them before." I kissed him, leaving him breathless again. 

He nodded his head as we broke apart, then moaned softly. "I need more. Please." 

I smiled to myself and once more whispered almost in his ear, barely louder than a breath. "What do you need, Sean? Do you need me, hot, tight, and wet around you? Do you need me to open you up and put a toy in your ass, driving you crazy while I ride you? Or do you just want to have me use toys to make you fall apart in my arms? Tell me what you need, baby boy. I'll do my best to please you, make you feel so, so good." 

Jack panted, his brain short circuiting from the ideas I was giving him. He bucked into the open air, seeking a source of pleasure, of friction, moaning wantonly. I grinned to myself again and reached over him, pulling out more silk ties and bound him to the bed, tying his hand together just above his head, so his shoulders wouldn't hurt if he was in that position a while, but so he couldn't reach anything either. Then I moved down and tied his feet to the bottom of the bed, forcing his legs apart just enough to give me full access to him. He whined again until he felt my hand touch his stomach, making his stomach muscles clench in anticipation at my feather light touches. I pressed gentle kisses on his stomach now, watching his face. I stopped, waiting for Jack to tell me what he wanted. He once again bucked his hips, but I pressed a firm hand down on one of them, keeping him in place. I reminded him I needed to know what he wanted. Jack panted out his answer. "Everything. Anything. Fill me up, ride me. Give me a handjob, a blowjob. Finger my ass until ye make me cum. Just do something, now! I can't take it." He half sobbed on the end of his answer. "Please." 

I reached my head down and kissed his stomach again, less softly this time, sucking a small hickey on the spot, and when I lifted my head, I blew on the faintly wet spot I had left, making Jack shiver and groan. I grabbed the lube and started very gently working him open, one handed, while I gave him a fast and sloppy handjob with the other, not trying to get him off, just distracting him from what I was doing. When he was sufficiently opened, I grabbed the vibrating egg, the one with a wireless remote, and slid it into him, making sure it just touched his prostate, barely pressing it. Then I added a small butt plug to hold it in place, handed Mark the remote, and slid on top of Jack, my whole body covering him suddenly. He trembled, not knowing what was coming next, except that it would feel good. I pressed my swollen breasts into his chest as I guided his now fully hard and swollen dick inside of me. I pulled his face up into a kiss, swallowing the cry he tried to make as Mark turned the vibrator on the lowest setting as Jack settled in me. I grinned at Mark and started riding Jack. Mark slowly turned the vibrator up. By the time it reached half power, Jack was ready to come apart under me, but I pulled off of him, making Mark stop the vibrator. Jack moaned at the sudden loss of stimulation until I reached down and put a cock ring on him, preventing him from actually cumming for the moment. I winked at Mark and nodded, asking him silently to turn the vibe back on as I once again slid on top of Jack and started moving right away. Jack was soon begging us both, in broken whispers, to let him cum. Mark's only response was to turn the vibrator up another notch. Jack started to cry, tears leaking down from under the blindfold, from over stimulation at one point, but he hadn't used the safe word we had all agreed on early in our sexual explorations, so we knew he was still okay. My orgasm, which was building slowly the whole time I was riding Jack, suddenly rolled over me, swallowing me up completely. I cried out very quietly. Mark, hearing me accidentally dropped the remote as he moaned deep in his throat, sounding like sin personified. After my orgasm was over, I felt another one swiftly building, but instead of riding it out immediately, I pulled off Jack just long enough to remove the cock ring. I was still holding his cock and balls, keeping him from instantly releasing, but when I slid back down, his groan made me let him go. He bucked wildly into me, hitting my g-spot, making me fly apart in his arms, just as he too came apart completely under me. We both laid there, too spent to move for several minutes until Jack whined and started bucking into me again, trying to escape the torment of the vibrator or build up enough pleasure to cum again. His movements were enough to knock me back to orgasm territory, especially when he hit the perfect angle. His second orgasm, far more violently powerful than the first, ripped through him, knocking me over the edge just as I grabbed the vibrator remote to turn it off. His sudden movements knocked me over the edge as well and I had just enough time and presence of mind to shut the vibrator off as I came. We lay, boneless and exhausted, but happy, in a graceless heap for several seconds before I moved enough to untie Jack and take the blindfold off. Then we both just laid there, too tired to move. I looked over at Mark, who was still tied up, but looked every bit as sleepy and happy as Jack and I. Looked more closely for a minute. "Mark, baby, you made a mess. Do you want some help cleaning up now?" 

He made a face and nodded. I chuckled and rolled off Jack, who got up and got a warm washcloth to clean all three of us up with. Jack still had the toys in his ass, so he walked a little funny, but I didn't say anything, instead opting to untie Mark and release him from the gag. I smiled at him and pressed a soft kiss onto his lips after it was clear. "Thanks babe. I can't believe how sexy that was." Mark shook his head. "I came, twice. Nobody touched me. It was all from watching and hearing the two of you." 

I smiled softly and took the washcloth from Jack, cleaning Mark up carefully. Jack took the washcloth away to rinse it before he came back to clean me up, so I rested my hand and my head on Mark's chest, looking into his face. He yawned. "Mark, sweetie, are you ready for another nap? You're still healing up from your accident and you need to rest more." 

Mark yawned and wrapped his good arm around me, pulling me closer as soon as Jack cleaned me up. "I'll rest here if you'll stay and snuggle me. And seriously, thank you. That was perfect. And since no one touched me, it couldn't have hurt me. It just felt really, really good." 

Jack, having cleaned himself up in the bathroom and come back to join us, agreed. He laid down next to me, snuggling close, ignoring the toys he still hadn't taken out of his ass, in favor of just cuddling as close to me as he could. I smiled and hugged him tightly to me. I knew Jack would ask me to take the plug and vibrator out before long, but I was enjoying just cuddling him in a non-sexual manner at the moment. Both men drifted back to sleep, with me cradled in between them. Jack was still tucked tight into my side, my arms wrapped around him as he drifted off to sleep. I smiled and just kept holding him close, letting him sleep, hoping the sleep and being as relaxed as he was now would help him heal faster, lower his blood pressure, and bring his still elevated heart rate back down to normal. I was still very worried about both men. I tucked the blankets up under our chins and laid back, planning for the future again, letting my boyfriends sleep, knowing I was safe by their sides. 

That evening, after both men finally woke up, we got dressed. I had to help Jack retrieve the vibrator and remove the butt plug, something that made him blush adorably to ask for help with, then help Mark get dressed, assisting him in getting his shirt on and pulling his pants up while Jack held him up. Jack helped Mark to the wheelchair and all three of us headed back out to the living room, shifting Mark back over to the couch so he could prop his foot up. Pa winked at me as we settled into seats next to Mark. "Ye three were gone a long time. What happened?" 

I laughed. "The guys fell asleep again while they cuddled me. I still swear these babies are sucking all the energy away from anyone who gets close enough. I think I'm immune now, at least for the moment. I was working on mental planning while Jack and Mark held me and slept." I looked at the guys, a shadow of sadness crossing my face for a brief second. "They need the rest and relaxation to heal." 

Jack smiled at me, shaking his head a little. "Ye're so stubborn lass. Ye need ta rest up too. Ye are pregnant with eight babies and we have four very active YouTube channels and the associated social media that ye watch like a hawk, besides tha four wonderful one-and-a-half-year-old lasses that are our daughters. And ye plan so much, I'm surprised ye have time ta do anything else." 

I laughed. "Hey, just because I can't do the physical things I usually do, doesn't mean I have to be lazy. I'm taking it very easy, keeping all my pregnancy restrictions in mind and resting my body a lot. I can't turn my brain off as easily. And honestly, the planning ahead helps keep me sane and emotionally steady most of the time. You know why." 

Jack hugged me close. "Yes, lass, we do. But ye still worry us sometimes. Ye always do so much, even when ye should be resting and building up some reserves. Tha next few months are going ta be hard on all of us. Please, promise ye'll at least try ta make sure ye find a few minutes ta relax with us as often as ye can." 

I cuddled into Jack's side. "I am doing that now. But, yes, I promise, I will definitely spend as much time relaxing with one or both of you two as I can manage. BUT!! The two of you need to remember I need to feel useful too and too much down time is actually worse for me than not enough. That means you need to let me decide how much I can handle without nagging me to rest all the time. The doctors are watching me closely and they will tell me when I need to shift to total bed rest. If the two of you try to force that sooner, before I'm ready, something is going to snap, and I suspect strongly it will not go well for you." I shivered. "It won't be good for me or the babies either." 

Mark ran his good hand across my shoulders. "Babe." I looked at him, a little sad and scared. "We hadn't really thought of that. I mean, we both knew it wouldn't be good for us if you snapped at us, but we never thought of how you or the babies might be effected. We'll do our best not to nag you or baby you, as long as you don't push yourself too hard. If we see you exhausting yourself all the time, we're going to say something. And we might not be perfect at controlling the urge to help you, but we will try as hard as we can to offer, not swoop in and take over. You deserve that much." 

I smiled crookedly. "Thank you. Now, I've been thinking and planning all day. Jack, we should send out the requests to meet with the people you are considering for editor. You too Mark." 

They both nodded and gave me the list of people they wanted contacted. I added one or two names to both of their lists and decided I was done with work stuff for the rest of the day. I snuggled closer to Jack, suddenly feeling cold again and curled up into a smaller ball, grabbing all the blankets in easy reach and burying myself under them. Jack ran a hand down my back, pulling me even closer and wrapping his arms around me. "Love, are ye chilled? I'm a bit cold too, so we should just huddle here together, under these blankets and try ta warm each other up for a bit. Maybe Ma and Pa will call in some food ta have delivered. what do ye think?" 

I shivered again and rested my head on Jack's shoulder. "Whatever you and Mark want. I suddenly don't feel very good. I think I feel a migraine coming on, besides being cold." 

Jack kissed my temple and dimmed the lights, holding me as close as he could. He lifted me all the way into his lap and scooted over as close to Mark as he could, letting Mark help warm us up. I moved just enough so I was resting my head on Mark's shoulder, wrapped in both men's arms and the blankets wrapped around me up to my chin. I closed my eyes and fought the pain down. I felt Mark reach up and gently rub my back, slowly, trying to help me feel better. Jack moved his hands up and started rubbing my shoulders. I relaxed into both men and just zoned out a little, letting my mind drift. I fell asleep for a little while and when I woke back up, the girls were playing close by. My head was not as painful, but I was still sensitive to the light and my throat was sore for some reason. I groaned. 

Jack, who was still snuggled close, looked at me and smiled. "What's wrong, love?" 

I tried to talk, my voice sounding broken. "I think I'm sick again. My throat hurts, I my head's pounding, and the light just hurts my eyes. Bleah. I never get sick like this. Why now?" 

Mark wrapped his good arm around me, drawing me in closer, kissing my forehead. "Shh, babe, it's okay. Your body probably just can't fight germs off as well right now because of all the strain from the babies. You're doing a fantastic job of taking care of yourself. Now, just relax and let us help you. Stress is going to make it worse. I noticed you have a little bit of a fever too." 

I groaned again. "I don't have time to get sick! I need to prep the food for Felix's party tomorrow." 

Jack reached over and rested a hand on my cheek. "No. Ye need ta rest. We can pull some food from tha freezer or order something from a restaurant if we need ta tomorrow. Felix is going ta understand. Tha more ye fight us on this, tha weaker ye are going ta be and tha longer this will last. Now, can ye drink some juice? Or do ye want me ta make ye pot of tea?" 

I looked down and fidgeted my hands. "Tea please. I know you're right, but I feel like all I do lately is rest or sleep. My energy is mostly back to normal. Or it was until this cold or whatever started." I made a face. "I hate being sick. Dammit." 

Mark chuckled as Jack got up to make my tea. "We know babe. Just relax against me. You need the extra warmth and you stay calmer when you're in my arms, or Jack's. He'll go make you some tea and you can just sit here and read, if you want." I sniffled and nodded. Mark smiled and handed over my ebook reader. I sighed, tucking myself into Mark's chest, swallowing in an attempt to help my throat, and opened my book. It was enough of a distraction to let me just relax and enjoy the moment. I smiled at Jack when he handed me a big cup of tea and set the pot on the table, in easy reach. 

I reached over and hugged him tight after the first sip. He grinned at me. "Did I make it right? I wasn't sure how much honey ye usually added." 

"It's perfect, Sean. Thank you." I drank about half the cup before I had Mark put the cup down for me. I shivered a little, drawing the blankets closer again, and tried to go back to my book, but ended up falling asleep almost immediately. I woke up to Jack gently lifting me up, sometime later. I blinked at him, confused. "What's going on, Jack?" 

He smiled. "I just had ta lift ye up. Mark needs ta go ta tha toilet. Wade's here and going ta help him. Ye should drink a bit more tea, then go back ta sleep. Ye can snuggle with me on tha couch if ye want." 

I yawned and nodded, still feeling extremely sleepy. "Okay. Thanks for taking care of me." 

Jack closed his eyes and kissed my shoulder. "Of course, lass. We will always take care of ye when ye don't feel well. Ye do tha same for us. Now, do ye want me ta have Ma reheat yer tea? Or do ye want ta just drink it like it is now and go right back ta sleep?" 

"Sleep. I'm not really awake." 

Jack nodded, settling us both back on the couch. As soon as he was settled, I scooted as close and as tight to his body as I could, wrapping us both in the blankets. I even wrapped the blankets up over my head, just poking my face out. Jack held the drink out for me. I took a few sips and tried to hand it back to him, but he just looked at me. "Keep going, love. Tha babies and ye both need ye ta drink more. finish that cup off and I'll let ye get back ta yer nap. Okay?" I sighed and nodded, drinking the rest as fast as I could, trying not to cough. As I swallowed the last of the tea, Jack took the cup back from me and set it on the table, next to the pot of tea. Then he stretched out his legs, wrapped his arms around me, and started softly humming to me. I was asleep again almost instantly. Jack woke me up for dinner a while later. "Love, ye need ta eat. Come on. Ma made ye some chicken soup." 

I shivered and looked into Jack's face. He looked worried. I tried to smile, but sneezed instead, ducking my face into the blanket cocoon I was still wrapped in. After three giant sneezes, I looked back up. Jack was shaking his head and grabbing a tissue for me. He held it in front of my face, clearly expecting me to blow my nose. I started to reach a hand out from under the blanket to take the tissue, but he just shook his head at me and put his hand, and the tissue, on my nose. I blushed and blew my nose as gently as I could. He grinned and kissed my forehead. My blush brightened. "Sorry to be so gross, Jack." 

Jack gave me a look, full of love, reassurance, and patience. "Lass, I've helped our daughters blow their noses since they were born. This isn't going ta chase me away. It wasn't really that gross anyway. Now, ye just cuddle inta me. I'm going ta carry ye in ta tha kitchen for dinner. Ye can cuddle with me at tha table, maybe rest yer head on my shoulder again. I like taking care of ye, when ye'll let me, same as Mark. Mark just can't do as much right now because of his injures. Wade's already helped him inta tha kitchen and tha girls are waiting too." 

I nodded and curled up in Jack's arms a little more, making it easier for him to carry me. "Thank you, sweetie. You and Mark are so sweet. I love you both. I just wish I wasn't sick. I hate getting sick. Especially after how unwell I have been since I found out about the babies. It feels like I've been just continuously sick since the beginning of September." I shivered again, leaning closer to Jack. 

He just got up, slowly and carefully, carrying me into the kitchen, as promised, and set me down at the table, immediately scooting in as close to me as he could get. I leaned over into him, coughing a little, and sighed happily. He wrapped an arm around me, smiling softly. "There we go love. Ye just cuddle close ta me." 

Sammi and Tiana looked at me. Tiana frowned a little. "Momma? Is you sick?" 

I nodded and coughed again, weakly. Sammi looked sad. "Ye need ta get better. Granny made ye soup for supper. Dani and I hewped. We handeded her tha noodes and hewd tha veggies." 

I smiled at her, rubbing my throat. It was still extremely painful. "Good job baby. Thank you for helping." I sneezed and coughed a little again, still weakly, trying to keep my head from pounding at even that small sound and movement. I whimpered. Mark frowned at me. 

"Babe, after dinner you need to go to bed. You really sound sick now. What happened? You were fine earlier." 

I closed my eyes. "I don't know, Mark. I woke up from my nap sick. It feels like just a cold, but it's kind of a bad one. I'll be okay." 

I saw Mark and Jack exchange looks. Jack pulled me in closer to him, hugging me tight. "After ye eat, we're gong back ta bed. No arguing. Ye need ta sleep, and clearly ye need someone ta watch over ye, make sure ye actually do rest. Besides, ye sleep better when ye snuggle with one of us. Mark, Ma, and Pa can read ta tha girls tonight. And Ma and Pa can put tha girls ta bed. Or Wade can help, if he wants. Tha household won't crumble if ye and I miss one night." Jack pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead, then frowned deeper. "Love, yer fever is getting worse. If it gets much higher, we need ta get ye seen by a doctor." 

I shivered. Mark shifted over closer to me. I leaned into him, pulling Jack over with me as I moved. I was now sandwiched between the two of them, wrapped in Jack's arms, buried in blankets. I was still a little cold. Mark threw his good arm around behind Jack and I, pulling us even closer. I rested my head on Mark's shoulder, almost in his lap and Jack's. Jack smiled and rubbed my back a little, seeing me get settled and not resisting or arguing about needing help. Mark chuckled, making me raise my head to look at him. "You really must be sick, babe. You're not arguing with Jack at all. You're just curling into the two of us and hiding." 

I nodded a little and groaned suddenly. My throat and head felt terrible. I started coughing again and it went on for several moments, making me gasp, loudly, for air when it finally stopped. Everyone was watching me now. I looked down. Ma tutted a little. "Lass, ye really don't sound well. Here. Have some soup. It'll help ye fight this nasty thing off." 

I tried to smile my thanks, but when I looked up, my head throbbed, making me grimace instead. "Ow." I waited a minute before I tried to talk. "Thanks for the soup, Ma. I'm sure it will help." 

Dani giggled. "Momma, ye sound funny." She looked at me closer, her smile turning into sadness. "I's sorry ye's sick again. Is tha babies making ye sick?" 

Jack answered for me. "No, little love. Momma just has a bad cold. She'll be better soon." 

I sighed and nodded a little, then turned to my soup, carefully and slowly picking up the spoon. Mark and Jack watched me start to eat, then smiled encouragingly. Everyone settled in, focusing on the food in front of them. I managed to get through the whole bowl of soup and eat a roll before I was just too tired to lift either my head or my arm anymore. I leaned onto Mark's shoulder again and fell fast asleep. A little while later, I felt strong arms around me, sliding me out of my seat and carrying me away, but I didn't really wake up, even when they got me ready for bed. I knew it was Jack, and I trusted him completely, so I stayed in that more than half asleep state until I felt him settle into the bed next to me, curling in close, wrapping both of us up in blankets. I went back to a deep, restful sleep after that, not waking back up until the next morning. 

In the morning, I still felt sick, but not nearly as bad. I felt like my throat had been sandpapered, but my head was clear, less painful, and I wasn't coughing or sneezing any longer. I was still achy and more tired than usual though and I still had a very low- grade fever. By the time I was fully awake, I noticed Jack was gone from the bed, leaving me curled up with Mark. Mark was already awake, watching me. "Good morning, sweetheart. How are you feeling this morning? Is your cold any better?" 

I nodded and smiled softly at him, then shivered. He pulled me in closer with his good arm, tucking my body against his, my baby bump supported by his side and abs. "Thanks Mark." My voice sounded awful, harsh and broken, barely a whisper. I sighed. "Yes, other than a very sore throat, being cold and achy, and my voice being gone, I think I'm mostly over this. How are you feeling today?" 

Mark smiled at me, softly, then kissed my cheek. "I'm alright babe. Jack went to go start some breakfast for all of us. We had an idea for how to do the food for the party later too. You're going to sit and watch, while he cooks. If he has a problem, or question, you'll be there to help, but you won't be handling the food directly. And we figured we could pull some things from the freezers as well, to supplement, so Jack wouldn't have so much to do. Does that sound reasonable to you?" I nodded and leaned into Mark a little more. He grinned happily. "Good. Now, you just rest. Okay? I got you baby." 

I sighed and closed my eyes again, just relaxing in Mark's arms. He had moved his injured arm over, resting it on top of my belly. Before long, I felt the babies starting to kick, letting me know it was time to eat. I could feel Mark's grin behind me, especially when he leaned forward slightly and kissed the back of my shoulder. I opened my eyes and looked back at him, smiling. "Sweetheart, are you feeling the babies moving around too?" 

Mark nodded, looking joyful beyond words. "Yeah. It amazes me every time I feel them move. Honestly, I can't even begin to comprehend how I ended up here, with you, Jack, the girls, and now these little ones on the way, some times. I feel so, so lucky." A tear slid slowly down his cheek. 

I turned in his arms and raised my head, kissing him gently, wiping the tear away with my thumb while I cupped his cheek with one hand. "Oh, sweetheart. I know what you mean. This has been a crazy few years, and I really can't see things settling down all that much for us, anytime soon. And I feel incredibly lucky to have the family we do too. When I think of my life before I came to LA..." I shivered a little in Mark's strong arms. "Things definitely could have been very different for me. I would have missed out on so many things, so many amazing experiences, friendships, and chances to help people. It scares me sometimes how close all of that came to never happening." 

Mark pulled me in closer and pressed a kiss into my forehead. "Shh. It's okay babe. Things happened the way they were meant to for all of us." 

Just as Mark said this, Jack came back in the room, fully dressed. "Morning lass. How do ye feel this morning? And breakfast is ready, for both of ye, as soon as ye can make it inta tha kitchen. Mark, I'll help ye as soon as ye're ready ta move." 

I pulled myself gently out of Mark's arms, pressing a soft kiss into his lips as I left, getting up from our bed and making a bee line for the bathroom to take care of my morning bladder relief. When I stepped back out, Mark was just getting settled in the wheelchair with Jack stepping behind to push him. I stepped over and kissed Jack softly, a gentle good morning. "Hey Jack. Thanks for helping Mark and making breakfast this morning. You asked me how I felt this morning. In all honesty, meh. My throat and voice are shot, I'm cold and achy, and my hormones are all over the place." I sighed. "At least I'm not still so sick or exhausted." 

Jack hugged me closer and pulled me in for a longer kiss. "Well, I'll just have ta take extra special care of ye today then. And I think tha girls will want ta help too. Ye just relax and enjoy us taking care of ye. Did Mark tell ye tha plan for Felix's party food?" I nodded. Jack rested his head on my shoulder and just held me for a minute. "What do ye think? Can I do it, with yer help?" 

I smiled at Jack. "Yeah. I believe in you, sweetie. You've gotten pretty good in the kitchen too." I coughed once, turning away from Jack a little so I didn't cough directly into his face. "Sorry." 

Jack shook his head. "Love, it doesn't upset me that ye had ta cough, just that ye're sick. Now, come sit down in tha kitchen and get some breakfast. I made ye tea and honey again." He smiled. "I even added yer orange peel twist and made mint tea, since I wasn't sure how sick ye would be feeling. And I made some banana pancakes for everybody. Ma already has tha girls in their booster seats and they all have food already. I just need ta get ye and Mark in ta tha table now." 

I chuckled. "I can walk by myself Sean. I can even help you push Mark in the wheelchair. It's not strenuous and perfectly safe for me to do right now. I just can't pick him up and carry him around. You don't have to be responsible for everything you know. You'll get sick and stress out too much if you try, then you'll have to deal with me." 

Jack blushed and ducked his head, acting like he was trying to hide behind Mark, while still holding me close. "Nooo! Not the scary pregnant fiancée lady. Anything but that!" We all laughed, especially when Mark suddenly pulled Jack down into his lap, holding him in place with his good arm and kissing him softly. 

"I'll protect you, Jack. She can't come after me, because I'm wounded." 

I laughed again, my smile and laugh turning a little wicked sounding. "That's what you think. I know how to make you squirm, yelp, and run in terror, all without moving a muscle. Hell, in case you've both forgotten, I can do things to you just by sending you a look. Now, FEAR me, you goobers. Oh, and feed me. I tend to be less scary when I'm not hungry." 

Jack kissed Mark on the cheek, making him let go. "Thanks for tha offer Mark, but I think we best listen ta her, before she gets evil." I smiled as I watched the two of them, then grinned when Jack turned back to face me again. "Ye know, love, with yer voice all fucked up, like it is now, ye sound a load scarier when ye deepen yer voice, like ye did when ye told us ta fear ye. Not that we don't always have a healthy respect for ye..." I raised an eyebrow and crossed my arms, looking at the two of them. They both blushed. "Yeah, we can get a bit protective of ye, but ye still manage ta keep us in line. And we _have_ been trying." 

I nodded. "You are both doing a lot better. But sometimes you need reminders before things get to be a problem again. That's all. But really, let's go get some food. I want that tea you promised too." I sighed. 

Jack nodded and wrapped me up in another hug, pulling me over to Mark's side. Mark grabbed my hand and held it. I looked at both of them. Mark looked up, into my face. "What are you thinking about, babe? You have that planning look in your eyes and as far as I know, you've got everything planned out for things for a little while." 

I smiled, a little ruefully. "Just thinking about the future, both the next few weeks, months, and even longer into the future. We should teach the girls more than just English. Mark, I know you're trying to learn Korean yourself, from your Mom, but do you think she could help the girls and I learn it too? I want to learn as many languages as our kids know, even if I don't speak them around them, so I know what they are saying. I have the feeling by the time the girls and these babies are teenagers, we're going to need all the advantages over them we can get. My god, we are going to have a horde." I shook my head. "Thank heavens I like children so much. And am good with them. Honestly, the girls are pretty amazing most of the time, just like their daddies." 

Both men blushed and ducked their heads. Mark grinned at me. "Hey, I think Mom would love to teach all of you Korean, even just over Skype. We could set it up for weekly sessions and practice together every day. Jack and I can help, at least with the beginner’s stuff." 

Jack nodded. "Yeah. That's a really good idea. And I wouldn't mind strengthening my grasp of the language as well." 

I turned to Jack. "Good. I want to ask Ma and Pa to help me learn Irish, well Irish Gaelic too, if they know it. The girls, and any future kids we have, should be able to speak the languages of their heritage, at least as much as possible. Maybe we can wait on the German a little. I think two languages, besides English will be enough to start with, and I know you speak some Irish too, Sean, so we will have someone on hand to help." I blushed a little. "To be honest, I've been looking at learning a new language for a while and actually started some online courses for it about a month ago, listening and working on it around editing and scheduling." 

Jack smiled at me, kissed me, then leaned in close and deepened his voice. "And what language or languages did ye chose ta start with, love? Hmm?" 

I blushed a little brighter. "Irish." Jack's smile cranked back up to a full grin. "I've been using Duolingo. And I've only missed one day in the past month. I used my phone when we were in the hospital." I leaned onto Jack's chest, resting my hand over his heart and my head on his shoulder. "I wanted to surprise you, and to learn a little in case we do have to go back to Ireland for a bit." 

Jack kissed the top of my head. "Lass..." 

I looked up into his eyes, hating the worry and anxiety I could easily read there. I offered him a soft, slow smile. "Don't panic just yet sweetie. I have plans upon plans upon plans before we will have to make any decisions like that. You're not getting away from me that easily." I looked over at Mark. "And neither are you. But enough talk for now. Breakfast is getting cold." 

Jack nodded and hugged me tight one more time before he let me go. Mark just kept holding my hand, resting his head on the back of it as we all walked (or in Mark's case, rolled) into the kitchen. Ma was helping the girls eat their pancakes, cutting things up for them. All four girls were giggling and bouncing with energy this morning. I smiled at them, as I slid into my seat at the table, scooting over next to Sammi. She grinned at me, her tiny face covered in banana and yogurt. "Momma, is ye still sick?" 

I nodded. "A little. I have a scratchy throat, sound funny, and am kind of achy. But I feel better than yesterday. Daddy is taking extra good care of me. And Papa is too, as much as he can. He's been helping me stay warm this morning while Daddy cooked." 

Sammi beamed at her fathers. "Good job daddies!" She turned back to her food, looking almost forlornly at her plate. "Where did all my breakfast go?" 

Ma laughed. "Lass, ye ate it. Are ye still hungry?" Sammi nodded. Ma chuckled. "Okay then, let's fix that. More pancakes for Samantha. Stephanie, love, do ye want any more? Danielle? Tiana?" 

All three girls looked at Ma and shook their heads, holding out hands for cleaning and to be let out of the booster seats. Pa grinned and came over with his cup of coffee to help. I grabbed the wet wipes and cleaned up Dani, Pa cleaned up Stephanie, and Mark cleaned up Tiana, one handed, as best he could. She helped him as much as she could, taking the wipe and scrubbing her won face vigorously. Jack grinned and started releasing the seat straps while Pa lifted the girls down and Ma cooked some more pancakes. Mark and I scooted closer together, trying to stay out of the fray as best we could to help control the chaos. Jack kissed each of the girls as they got released and patted them on the butt. "Alright, all princesses who are finished up, go report ta tha playroom. Yer sister will join ye as soon as she's done eating. A grown up will be in soon, ta help ye if ye need." Three little heads nodded and zipped off, squealing and shouting, just happy to be free and alive. Sammi watched them go with a sigh. Jack smiled at her. "Lass, ye can't eat and play at tha same time. They will wait for ye." 

Sammi nodded. "I knowed that Daddy. But I want ta play too. But I's stiw hungry, so I eat more first. Tha pancakes are yummo." 

I chuckled. "Yeah, sweet pea, your Daddy is getting to be a very good cook. Papa is pretty good too. We're lucky." I winked at her, conspiratorially and whispered. "It means we can let them take over and just relax, like the pampered royals we are, right?" 

Sammi covered her mouth with both hands, giggling madly, her shoulders scrunched up. "Momma, ye's silly this morning. Ye's a gooder cook then them though. I want ta have ye teach me too, someday." 

I smiled at her. "Someday, I will. Just like I taught Daddy and Papa. It will be so slow and over so much time, you won't even know you can cook until, presto, kitchen magic." I grinned at looked at Mark. "Just ask Papa. That's wat happened to him. I got him hooked on my cooking, then started having him help me by handing me ingredients, measuring things, or cutting something up. Then one day, I had him mix a bunch of things together while I worked on something else. Before long, he was cooking all by himself, some simpler recipes. Now, he's good enough to cook a lot of things by himself, when he's not hurt." 

Sam's eyes got huge. "Wow. That's tricky, Momma. Did he know ye was doing that?" 

I grinned and winked at her again. "Not for a long time. Daddy offered to help me sooner, and he liked it. Papa saw us having fun and wanted to join in too, so we let him." 

Mark laughed. "Yeah, you dragged me into the kitchen. luring me in with you're amazing cooking. Now, I can cook for myself, or the rest of us, if I have too. The only things I could make before were pasta, cereal, grilled cheese, and chicken and dumplings. Mom made sure I knew how to make that one." 

Sammi grinned again. "Me _**loves**_ chicky and dumpings." 

I laughed. "I know, sweet pea. All our princesses do. Just like Papa. Daddy and I like it too, but not like you girls and Papa, that's for sure. It's okay, we like other things. Not everybody has to like all the same things. It makes life more fun, even in a family, if there are some different ideas and tastes." 

Ma smiled as she turned around with two more pancakes for Sam, all cut up and ready to eat. "Careful, Samantha, ye don't want ta burn yerself now. They might still be hot." Sammi nodded and blew on her food, then started shoveling it in her mouth. Ma chuckled. "Lass, it won't run away. Slow down. Chew." 

I reached over and rubbed Sammi's back for a minute. "Baby, Momma doesn't want you to choke. Your sisters really will wait for you." Sammi looked up at me and nodded, slowing down to a more normal pace. I sighed. Jack handed Mark and me plates of food. "Thanks Jack."

Jack waved a hand as he sat down, sliding coffee in front of Mark's plate and setting his own cup down. "Ye deserve a bit of pampering. Now, eat up, both of ye. After breakfast, we'll all go snuggle on tha loveseat we set up in tha playroom and just watch tha girls play. Maybe I'll read a story ta them, too. Or Mark, ye can. We'll see what those little monkeys of ours want ta do this morning. Then, after naps, we can make tha food for this evening."

Sammi clapped. "Eee! Tonight's a party for Unca Fewix, right Daddy? Wiw aw our aunts and uncas be der? And Jacob?"

I chuckled. Jack laughed. "Yup. Uncle Felix is having a birthday today, so we're going ta have a party for him. And lots of tha aunts and uncles will be here, and yes, love, Jacob will be too."

Sammi grinned hugely and clapped again. "Me likes Jacob. He's my bestest friend, after Dani."

I smiled at her. "What about Ti and Steph, baby?"

Sammi looked at me and shook her head, still grinning. "Nope. They's next, after him."

Jack chuckled. "Don't let yer sisters hear ye say that, love. They might get jealous."

Sammi looked a Jack, a familiar deadpan expression on her face as she crossed her arms. "I'm not a stoop, Daddy."

Mark and I were fighting back the laughter as Jack blushed a little. "Lass, I never said ye were. I just didn't want ye ta make anybody have hurt feelings."

Sammi nodded sagely, and went back to her food, ignoring us again. I caught Jack's eye as he shook his head at our daughter. I winked and leaned over to whisper to him. "You're not a stoop either, Sean. That was really hilarious though, especially when I realized she was copying my body language and expression so closely." I pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek and started to sit back up straight when I had a sudden thought and my eyes glinted wickedly. Jack noticed immediately and raised an eyebrow. "Were you jealous, sweetie? Of Jacob?"

Jack blushed and waved a hand at me. I grinned suspecting there might be some truth to the matter now. Mark pulled me in close. "Babe? What did you just say to Jack? He's blushing pretty fiercely, but it looks more like embarrassment than you got him all flustered or something."

I chuckled and answered loud enough Ma and Pa could hear now as well. "I asked if Jack was jealous of Jacob."

Sammi stopped eating, food halfway to her mouth, her face surprised. "Daddy? I's sorry. I didn't mean ta make ye jeawous. I l-love ye and Papa, lots and l-lots."

Jack blushed again and reached over, hugging Sammi. "Good. I'm glad ta hear that. And I think Momma was just being a brat when she said that. I knew ye loved me."

I winked at Sammi again. "Uh-huh. Suuure you did. It's okay to like other people too Sam. Your daddies can just be big sillies sometimes. And I'm super proud of you. I know it's hard to say the letter L, and you are doing a very good job."

Sammi beamed at me, then turned to Jack, stuck out her tongue for a fraction of a moment, then blew him a kiss and went back to her food. Mark chuckled beside me and whispered to me again. "Somebody's sassy today."

I laughed. "Me? Or Sammi? Or both of us? You'll have to be more specific, Mark. You know that all the girls and I can be spitfires sometimes." Mark raised an eyebrow. I laughed again. "You and Jack I can easily keep in line. The girls can be a little harder. And I think I can out stubborn the two of you, without much effort, even if you are both a bit mule-headed at times."

Jack heard me and laughed. "Ye do a good job keeping us in check, love. Even if we can't control ye."

I snorted and laughed. Everyone around the room grinned. I blushed a little, but kept giggling. "Sorry. I didn't mean to snort. Sean, sweetheart, you and Mark are easy. All it takes it a certain look and the two of you usually remember who's in charge. And if you forget, I will either remind you, or you will make me mad enough you won't forget again in a hurry. I can be remarkably effective at that when I need to. I just hate the way it upset everyone afterwards." I sighed. "I like it a lot better when everyone behaves and is co-operative instead."

Sammi looked at me again. "Ye's a good mommy. Sometimes ye need ta be stern so everybody does what they are supposed ta. But ye can be scary if ye need ta be." She shivered. "I no wike that. But I no think I supposed ta either."

Mark smiled. "You're such a smart cookie, Sam. Daddy and I forget sometimes that Momma's in charge. That's usually when she does get mad at us, or when we goof really badly."

I shook my head, looking at Mark, my eyes sad. "No Mark. I don't usually get mad about the goof-ups. Those are honest mistakes or accidents. I get mad when you ignore me, stop listening, or do the opposite of what I ask you to do. I try not to be too bossy, but sometimes there are reasons behind what I tell you, that I can't or don't explain." I looked at him a minute longer, catching his eye. "I might get upset, sad, scared or frustrated about the goofs but not really mad. It takes a lot for me to actually lose my temper." I sighed and looked down. I felt Mark pull me back into a one armed hug. I looked into his face, my eyes a little haunted. He kissed my forehead and then just rested his head on my shoulder, a silent apology. Jack reached over and grabbed my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. I swallowed down the lump of emotions in my throat and reached over, picking up my tea, hoping to help ease my throat and settle my emotions. After a few sips, I smiled at Jack, under a little better control. "Thanks for the tea this morning, sweetie."

Jack smiled back. "Anything ye need love. Ye know all ye have ta do is ask." I nodded and shifted positions just enough so I was a little more comfortable and Mark was resting against me at a better angle as well. We all reached down to start eating. I wasn't terribly hungry, but I knew I needed something in my stomach, if not for me, for the babies, so I ate about a pancake and a half, a small handful of grapes, and a little yogurt. After I finished that, I sighed and fiddled with my fork, feeling no hunger at all and fearing I would make myself sick if I ate anymore. Mark and Jack had been watching me eat and frowned at me. "Love, are ye okay? Ye didn't really eat very much."

I looked up, feeling a little guilty. "I think it's just this cold or whatever. I have absolutely no appetite and I was afraid if I ate any more I would throw up. I'll be okay, Sean. I just can't eat anymore for a while."

Mark and Jack both looked a little sad, but nodded. Mark spoke up this time. "Babe, if you need to eat less, just make sure you eat more often, like happened the last time you were pregnant. You need to keep up your nutrition so you don't end up back in the hospital and so the babies grow right."

I sighed. "I know. Believe me, I know. I just can't face anymore right now. I think I'll just drink my tea for now and try some soup, or broth if the soup is too much, in a little while." I looked down at my baby bump. "I know these little beans need all the help they can get and I need to stay strong for them. I just know if I try to force anything else, I'll throw up."

Jack reached over and rubbed my arm, making me look up at him. "Ye're doing a great job, love. Honestly, we're just worried for ye." Jack smiled at me. "If ye need ta go ahead ta tha playroom ta get away from tha food, we can catch up with ye in a few minutes. Or do ye want ta wait for us ta join ye?"

I lifted his hand from my arm and kiss the palm. "I'm okay, really. I can just snuggle with Mark and wait for the two of you." I looked at Sammi with a small smile. "Or I can help Sam clean up and take her in with me. I bet she'll snuggle with me."

Sammi grinned. "Yup! I's aw done anyway Momma. Ye can hewp me cwean up now, pwease." She held out her hands to me and turned her face up, scrunching her nose and face so I could wipe the sticky goop off. I chuckled and reached over, gently wiping her clean with a cloth Jack handed me. After she was done, I smiled and kissed her head. "I's aw cwean now?"

I nodded. "Yeah, baby girl, you're all clean. Now we just need to wait for somebody to help you out of the booster seat." I sighed and looked at my baby bump again. "Momma probably shouldn't be lifting you up right now. You and your sisters are getting so big, and I have to be extra careful, because of your baby siblings. So, for a little while at least, Momma needs to stop lifting you girls in and out of seats. I can still help boost you up, snuggle you, and take care of you, but lifting you four will have to wait until I have some help."

Mark reached over and hugged me. "Babe, I know it's hard, but thank you. We've been worried sick that you would just keep doing things, even when we know you're sensible, because someone needed something and you were going to be convinced it needed done this instant. Hearing you say you're going to have someone else do the lifting for a while really makes me feel better."

Jack stood up with a grin. "Me too. Now, lovely lasses, let's get tha two of ye under way. Alley oop!" Jack lifted Sammi free from the booster seat, sliding it away from the table, freeing me in the same movement. He kissed her forehead, hugged her, and set her on the floor. She immediately grabbed my hand, gently tugging me to follow her. I started to stand up, only to be stopped by Jack. "Let me help ye love." He Helped me up, gently, then kissed me as well. "We'll be in soon. Thank ye for not overreaching this morning." 

I sighed, nodded, and let Sam pull me into the playroom. She brought over a pillow for me, making me smile, as I got settled on one of the couches. I laid on my side, facing the girls, and was almost instantly swamped with all four of them coming over to hug me, play with me, or ask me to read to them. Sammi, who hadn't left my side yet, just smiled and sucked her thumb a little, resting her other hand on my baby bump. I called everybody to order. "Girls, please, calm down a minute. Momma's still a little sick, so I can't really read to you right now. I can watch you play though, and I promise, your daddies are coming in after they finish eating and will read some stories if you want. I can snuggle with whoever wants to then as well. Or you could draw, play with your blocks or dolls, or cuddle with one of them. What sounds good? I'll be here all morning to watch you and play, quietly."

Tiana grinned. "Momma! I wanna pway with your hair, pwease!" I sighed and nodded, sitting back up enough for her to get behind my head and handing her the hair brush.

Dani grabbed the box of Duplos, pulling it over in front of me and sitting down on the rug by my belly. Sam joined her right away and the two of them started building a fort with the bricks. I smiled as I watched, then looked at Steph. "So, sweetheart, what do you want to do this morning?" I coughed a little until I ran out of breath, but none of the girls seemed too upset by it.

Stephanie stepped over and hugged me again. "You just rest Momma. I's gonna draw you a picture." I smiled and nodded, settling into the couch a little more. I closed my eyes, seeing everyone around me content, and let myself just mentally drift. I didn't fall asleep, but I let myself truly relax and shut my mind off. I heard Jack and Mark come in a little while later and smiled, still with my eyes closed. I wasn't surprised at all when I felt Jack's strong arms lifting me up, despite Ti's protests. He sat me up just long enough to get Mark settled behind me on the couch, then settled in himself, with me in both of their laps. 

I grinned when I opened my eyes. "Sean, sweetie, you could have just asked me to sit up or move for a minute. I wasn't asleep, just relaxing. Ti has been fixing my hair while her sisters played or drew, and we were all waiting for the two of you, so you could read to us." I coughed again, my voice cracking. I rubbed my throat. "Sorry."

Jack shook his head at me. "Love, ye just rest quietly. We've got ye. Yer throat sounds really painful and yer voice is pretty rough. I just want ye ta get better again." He leaned forward and gently stroked a hand over my cheek and kissed my shoulder. I settled back in his arms a little more, scooting closer to both Jack and Mark, who was leaning on Jack and snuggling both of us, looking a little tired himself. Jack smiled then looked both of us over. "That's better. Ye both need ta just stay here and let me take good care of ye. Close yer eyes, tha both of ye, and rest while I read." Mark and I both nodded. Tiana went back to playing with my hair, quietly.

Stephanie, who had finished whatever she was drawing and had been watching us get settled came over with a small stack of books. "Here Daddy. Read one of these, please. I wanna wisten. Can I snuggle next ta Papa, pwease?"

Mark smiled and lifted his bad arm just enough for Steph to slid in and cuddle, which she did as soon as he nodded. "Thank you for the cuddles baby. They always make me feel better. Just be careful of my arm and ribs, okay? Papa can't move around much right now." Stephanie nodded and very gently hugged Mark, making sure not to be too rough, then just leaned into his side, sighed once and stuck her thumb in her mouth waiting for the stories to start. Mark smiled down at her. "Good job Stephie. Thank you for being gentle with me."

Stephanie smiled brightly, her thumb slipping out of her mouth for a minute. "I love you Papa. And I love Momma and Daddy, but you need hewp right now, more than they do. Momma might be a wittle sick, but Daddy is taking care of her, so we has ta help you more. It only fair." Her thumb immediately went back in her mouth. 

I chuckled softly. "Seems reasonable to me. Now, Stephie, what did we tell you girls about sucking your thumbs?"

She blushed and looked down. "We's big girws, so we shouldn't do it. I forgetted. I's sorry Momma."

I smiled at her, a gentle smile that soothed her upset. "It's okay. That's why I reminded you. It's different if you do it in your sleep, but even that's not very good. Sucking your thumb can make your teeth grow all crazy." I sighed and looked at Jack and Mark. "I bet we're going to spend a fortune on braces when the time comes. Mine were actually medically necessary. You had them too, right Mark?"

Mark nodded. "Yeah. My teeth were pretty crooked, but not that bad."

Jack looked at us. "At least tha two of ye have straight teeth now. Mine are still all crazy."

I looked up into Jack's face, seeing his self-consciousness flaring up. "Sean, we love you the way you are. And really, sweetie, if it bothers you that much, you could get them straightened now. They have invisible braces, or even just mouth-guards and retainers that will help. But my teeth were a **LOT** worse than yours are. Ask Mom sometime. I think she still has the mold they made of my teeth from before the braces. Double, even triple rows of teeth in spots because of how overcrowded everything was. And I had a pretty bad overbite." I shook my head. "I even had to wear the full headgear at night for a little while." 

jack blinked at me. "I bet ye were still cute in it though. I probably still would have kissed ye then."

I blushed, bright. "Jack! I wasn't kissing anyone at that age. I was only eleven and really starting to struggle with everything."

It was Mark's turn to blink at me. "Eleven? You got braces in the fifth grade?"

I blushed even brighter. "Um, no, babe. I was going into seventh grade when I got braces. I graduated high school at seventeen." I blushed again. "From honors classes and college courses offered from the school." I swallowed hard, mentally trying not to stray too far down the dangerous roads of my past but still talk about this. "I told you I was a year younger than everyone else. It meant I only had one summer to take driver's ed, not two like everyone else, and I started high school as a thirteen-year-old. I turned fourteen just after school started my freshman year."

Jack smiled reassuringly at me. "I bet ye were still adorable, even at that age. And no one is at their best in early secondary school."

I laughed. "Oh god, I was so awkward. I was very self-conscious about how I looked and dressed all through seventh, eight, and ninth grades. Then I just stopped caring what other people thought because I found people who shared similar interests. But I had already had the eating disorder stuff start, so it was a hard time for me, especially with things at home being what they were." I bit my lip. "I need to talk about something else now though. Please."

Jack nodded and patted my baby bump sweetly. "Ye got it love. Ye just stay calm for tha babies, and I'll start tha story. Stephanie, since ye brought me tha books, can Tiana pick tha first story?" Steph nodded, already looking eager for story time. Tiana stopped brushing my hair just long enough to point to one of the books, a collection of folk tales from Ireland, Scotland, and the UK, slightly toned down for a younger audience. Jack smiled and started reading. Soon the only sounds heard from the playroom were Jack's quiet voice, as he read stories he had heard all his life, and the occasional cough from me or Sammi and Dani saying something as they handed blocks back and forth, playing quietly and listening with the rest of us. Mark read the next book, a collection of fairy tales. I smiled as I listened, not really tired enough to sleep, but just enjoying everyone being close and having a family morning. Eventually, I got up to go to the bathroom and Jack followed me. "Love, do ye want ta go prep tha food for this evening with me now? We can get everything ready ta just heat up when it's time."

I nodded and followed Jack to the kitchen, wrapping myself in the blankets from the back of one of the living room couches, making a blanket burrito for myself as I settled into a seat at the table to oversee the cooking process. Jack grinned when he saw me bundled up like that and shook his head. "What? I'm cold Jack. This helps. Now, what did you have in mind to make? I had thought about a few dishes, but nothing really definite yet."

Jack shrugged a little, then made is suggestions, dishes he knew well enough to make himself and things he knew Felix enjoyed. I nodded and let him start working. After a little while, while Jack was mixing the cake batter for Felix's birthday cake, I closed my eyes, resting them to help ease my headache. I was asleep before I knew what happened. I woke up to Ma handing me a bowl of soup and making me drink as much juice as I could. Jack was no where to be seen, but the counter was covered in completed dishes and the cake was cooling next to them. I blinked. Ma smiled. "Jack went ta go round up tha girls and Mark, lass. Ye fell asleep while he was cooking, but he didn't want ta wake ye up ta send ye away. Besides, I think he liked being able ta keep an eye on ye while he worked in tha kitchen. He was right proud when I walked in ta see about getting some lunches going. How are ye feeling now?"

I yawned and blinked owlishly a few times, then took a big drink of the apple juice Ma had poured for me. After I finished swallowing, I was relieved to notice my throat no longer hurt. My headache was gone now as well. I smiled. "Actually, I feel a lot better. Even most of the achy pains I was having are gone now. I guess I just needed a little more sleep to clear the last of this cold away. I'm still cold, but that probably has more to do with the babies than the cold did anyway."

Ma nodded and chuckled. "Ye're a strong lass, I'll give ye that. And cold never stick around long for ye. Now, eat that soup up and if ye're hungry after that, we'll get ye something more substantial. Ye need ta keep those little beans in there fed after all." Ma patted my tummy, smiling when she felt the babies moving under her hand. I nodded and tucked into the soup, finishing it almost completely by the time Mark, Jack, and the girls got to the table. Ma laughed. "Well, that was quick. Are ye still hungry?"

I giggled and nodded. "Yeah. Thanks for feeding me, Ma."

Jack came over and kissed my cheek. "Love, ye sound better. Yer voice is back ta normal and ye don't feel so hot ta tha touch now. How do ye feel? Any better?"

I laughed and nodded. "Ma asked me the same thing. Yes, Sean, I'm better. I feel fine now, other than being cold, and I suspect that's from the eight tiny people in my belly trying to steal all my heat."

Sammi and Dani looked at me with huge eyes. Tiana and Stephanie ignore my comment, raising their arms to Jack for help up into their seats. I felt Dani's hand creeping under the front of the blanket to ru my tummy. "Babies, ye need ta make sure Momma is warm enough so she can stay healthy and protect ye. We's trying ta hewp with that too, but sometimes we can't snuggle her."

I smiled and reached down, drawing her small body into a tight hug. "Thanks sugar pie. Momma's doing her best. Your siblings are still too tiny to hear much of what your saying, but it help Momma feel better to hear you talk so sweetly to them. Are you excited to find out more about whether they are going to be boys, girls, or some of each next week? Momma, Daddy, and Papa are."

All four girls grinned and nodded now. Ti piped up. "Yup. Got's ta know if we has boy babies or girw babies coming. I still wanna know what they's going ta look wike too."

I chuckled. Mark leaned over and kissed her hair. "Tiana, my perfect purple princess, we won't be able to see too much yet. The babies are still super tiny. They aren't even as big as a baseball yet. Momma just looks bigger because there's a whole lot of them in there."

I stopped Mark for a minute with a gentle hand on his arm. "Actually girls, that's not all that's in there. Momma's body has to change to make room for all the extra fluid and padding the babies need to keep them safe, just in case Momma bumps her belly. Otherwise, they could be crushed and die, which would be really sad. So even thought the babies are super small still, a lot of my belly is from liquid. Think of it as a giant water balloon or bathtub, with the babies inside, safe, protected by the water and outsides of the balloon. They even have a special hose that is attached to them, at their belly buttons, that lets them get air, food, and everything they need from my body."

Stephanie looked at my belly, awe on her face. "Wow Momma. That's amazing."

I felt the babies moving again and smiled, looking down. "They are indeed amazing. Just like your four were, girls. Now, let's eat our lunches! We have naps to take this afternoon so we can all be awake for the party for Uncle Felix. Right girls?" I looked them over. Sammi and Dani nodded, gamely accepting my decree. Stephanie crossed her arms over her chest and sighed, then nodded. Tiana looked mutinous. I bit back a smile. "After all, only good girls who take proper naps can stay up for the party and have cake." Tiana's scowl dissolved and she looked torn. I knew she was every bit as much a cake lover as any of the girls or Jack, so it was a dirty card to play, but I wanted to avoid the argument. "Daddy, Papa, and I probably ought to take naps as well."

Jack nodded. "Yeah. After lunch, we ALL get naps. Maybe, if ye girls ask nicely, Granny will sing ye a song or read some stories while she helps ye get settled. Daddy has ta help Momma and Papa get settled so he's going ta be busy. Grampa might help too though, if ye girls ask him."

Ma chuckled as she handed out lunches to everyone. "I'll go ask him. And tell him it's time ta eat. I think naps all 'round are a very good idea. Ye need ta rest too, young man. Ye're still getting over blood pressure, kidney, and heart issues." Jack blushed and ducked his head. The girls all giggled, covering their mouths with both hands. 

"Yes, Ma. I wasn't going ta argue anyway."

I laughed. "Sean, love, you never take naps like you're supposed to unless we convince you how much you really need one." I leaned in close, kissing his ear and whispering an added thought to him. "Besides, if you don't fight it, maybe the 'nap' can be after some playtime with me."

Jack blushed and grinned at me, raising an eyebrow. I met his gaze with a smirk and raised one of my own. He swallowed and nodded. "Fine, ye all win. Ye fight dirty, but ye win." I laughed again, knowing I really was fighting dirty. Mark watched us both, amused, clearly knowing what was going on. I winked at him, making him blush a little now as well. 

Ma grinned at me and shook her head. "Ye keep them in line, lass. I'll handle tha princesses for tha afternoon. Somehow, I think I'm getting tha easier job though." This time both guys blushed bright red and Ma and I just started giggling madly. Before long though, we all stopped, focusing on food and eating. Ma did indeed go get Pa for lunch and he readily agreed to help. Before long, everyone was done and the food was all put away. Ma and Pa guided the girls upstairs, looking like they were herding ducklings. I smiled at the mental image, swearing to myself to read the girls **Make Way For Ducklings** by Robert McCloskey. It was one of my favorite books for children and just a sunny fun read even for adults. 

I looked at Mark and Jack. "Okay gentlemen. Time to head back to the bedroom for nap time. Sean, help Mark into the wheelchair please."

Jack nodded and helped Mark hop over then pushed him back to the bedroom and helped him get into bed and comfortable. I smiled, standing watch, then stepped over to the door and locked it, just in case. We had installed the lock after one of the girls managed to get the door open in the middle of the night over the summer. We had all been asleep, but we also didn't want them to just accidentally wander into things they shouldn't. We didn't need to have that conversation yet. I turned back to my handsome men, now snuggling each other on the bed, watching me with small smiles. I raised an eyebrow at them both. Mark blushed. "We were wondering what you had planned. I think we both just decided to wait and see what you were about to do next."

I grinned at them. "I see. So am I in charge again? Hmm. I kind of like that. But first, Mark, sweetheart, how are you feeling? Are you up to anything today, or just watching and having fun that way? Or do you really need the nap more?"

Mark laughed, low and sexy. "Come here babe. If we're careful, I'll be fine. And no, I don't need a nap, yet. After though, probably. Now, one question for you. What did you say to Jack that got him back here with no complaints? I mean, obviously it was something sexy, but it was almost as funny as the way you convinced Steph not to argue."

I laughed. "I bribed him. Basically, I said if he didn't argue too much, I'd make sure I wore him out before the nap. Just like I bribed our daughters with cake. Now ask me if I feel guilty about either one of those bribes. Go on, ask."

It was Jack's turn to laugh. "Love, we don't need ta. We can see ye aren't, nor should ye be. Ye use whatever resources ye have ta convince those of us who are being boneheaded ta do what ye want us ta, almost scarily well." I smirked and shimmied closer, making both men momentarily lose their train of thought. I laughed again. Jack shook his head and grinned at me. "Yeah, like that. Nothing wrong with that either, especially when ye can't be as physically active or strong as sometimes." His grin faded to a more serious expression. "Now, are ye sure ye feel up ta anything? I mean, it's a great bribe and we love that ye're feeling so much better lately, but ye really don't have ta..."

I silenced him by taking off my clothes, throwing them at him. Mark grinned and chuckled. "Jack, dude, I think that's her way of telling you she's fine and to shut up."

I came over to Mark's side and kissed him. "Good job babe. You figured it out. Now, you seem to be a bit over dressed. Want me to help you get more comfortable? I can't lift you up, but I can take your shirt off you and get the pants and boxers lowered some while you're laying down." Mark swallowed convulsively and nodded. It seemed his voice had abandoned him for the moment. I smiled, helped him sit up and slowly, carefully, with lots of sexy teasing and sweet, gentle hands, took his shirt off him, them helped him lay back down. Jack was watching, still too stunned to move. I started working Mark's pants down, carefully, leaving a trail of kisses behind. He was panting by the time both his pants and his boxers got to his knees. I smiled up at him. "Hey Mark? I think I can actually work these off the rest of the way if you can lift your legs for just a few seconds." Mark nodded and lifted both legs just long enough for me to slide the material off, then settled back, finding a comfortable position once more. I trialed a hand up his body as I came back up beside him, making him shiver deliciously. When our faces were level, I smiled into his. "Hi."

He smiled too. "Hi back, sexy. Now, come give me a kiss." I nodded and slid over him, kissing him intently, taking care not to bump his shoulder, ribs, arm, or leg as I went. Jack growled and grabbed me from behind as soon as I got clear of Mark.

"Love, did ye forget about me?" I giggled, still kissing Mark. Mark grinned onto our kiss too, both of us silently teasing Jack. He growled again, then lowered his voice. "Hey, I want to play too."

I broke the kiss with Mark, resting my head against his shoulder while he held me in his good hand, running a hand intently over my ass. I looked at Jack and raised an eyebrow. "You don't look like you want to play. You're the only one still dressed." I looked back at Mark with a smile. "How is it he's the most able bodied one of us right now and yet he's the only one still dressed? It's not even like he helped you out of your clothes. Hmm. I think he's being lazy."

Mark's eyes were dark with lust. "Maybe he should be punished."

I smiled and nodded, then both of us shifted our attention to Jack again, who had just managed to get his pants about halfway off. He saw our expressions and shivered, going still. I reached over for him and pulled him close. "Well, if you're going to be so lazy, looks like Mark and I will have to do all the work, but it also means you earned a punishment. What should we do to punish him Mark? I mean obviously he doesn't need to be able to use his hands or feet, so he'll be tied up, but what to actually punish him..." I hummed slightly, thinking, feeling Jack throbbing against my hip now. He was pinned between Mark and I, his pants stuck around his knees, his boxers still on. Mark had him wrapped up in his good arm, holding him close and pinning Jack's arms down. Jack's normally blue eyes were almost completely black with how widely blown open the pupils were from arousal. He whined in the back of his throat a little as well. I reached over to him. "You know the rules of the house, Jack. No whining. Whiners get more punishments and no treats. Or we have to silence the whining."

Mark nodded and leaned forward, his voice intentionally deeper than normal, but also sounding a little husky. "Yeah. I think he needs more punishment. The only question I have is spanking or silencing him?"

I looked at Mark and Jack with a tight smile. "That depends on what you two want to do. Mark, were you planning to see if Jack wanted to ride you while he was inside me? If so, I think spanking is out. But I can think of several other things we could do to effectively punish him before we get to the actual sex part. Or we could just tie him up and gag him, then make him watch us have fun without him. Or even tie him up, gag him, and overstimulate him for as long as he can stand it. What do you think guys? Sean, what punishment do you deserve?"

Jack swallowed thickly. I had felt his dick twitching with every word I said and he had looked close to cumming his pants by the time I finished. I had reached back and opened the drawer of toys and things, pulling out the silk ties again. Mark smiled wolfishly at me. "Let's strip him first and then decide after we get him all tied up." I nodded and we proceeded to do exactly that. Mark grabbed the lube from me as well, fingering Jack open as soon as I pulled his boxers down, before I even took the pants off him, keeping him trapped. Jack jerked and twitched madly as Mark stretched him, moaning obscenely as first one, then a second finger entered him. While Mark had Jack's attention, I removed the pants and boxers from around his knees, tying him up so he couldn't escape. Then I shifted positions and started slowly removing his shirt. I couldn't stop myself from reaching out and running hands up and down his chest as he breathed, still focused on what Mark was doing to him. I stopped long enough to tie his hands together behind his back, in a way that wouldn't be uncomfortable if we left him like that for a while, and kept still kept him from moving too much or reaching either of us. Then I reached out and tweaked his nipples into attention, making him cry out and jump, forcing Mark's fingers deeper. Jack moaned. Mark grinned at me. "Well, babe, what punishments do you think we should employ? I think we should make sure he's nice and open, all ready to fall apart on us, then leave him tied up and have some fun without him, making him watch."

Jack whined again and bucked into Mark's hand, grinding on me at the same time. I chuckled. "Hmm. I think he's already coming apart Mark." 

Jack gasped and tried to catch his breath, finally succeeding enough to speak. "I... Need..." He stopped, panting as Mark brushed his prostate with a finger. Mark moved his hand again and we waited seeing what Jack would say. He shuddered in our arms, trying to put together a coherent thought. "Pl-lease." I looked into his eyes, seeking answers. What I saw was how close he really was. I suspected if Mark so much as brushed a fingertip against Jack's prostate now, he'd cum. I reached behind me again, pulling out a vibrating cock ring, the ball gag, and a few other things to play with, keeping them out of sight for the moment. Jack was watching, but his eyes were so glazed over from lust I don't think he was seeing anything. I slipped the gag into his mouth after frenching the hell out of him for a few seconds, then slid the cock ring in place, preventing him from cumming for now. 

I looked at Mark again. "Okay. I have a plan in mind now. We're going to overstimulate Sean now. Sean, love, remember the signals and use them if you need, okay? We'll be watching for them." Jack nodded and I noticed a line of drool starting to run along the edge of the gag. I turned back to Mark. "Okay, Markimoo, open our baby boy up, nice and loose. When he's ready, I have some toys here for him while we have our playtime." Mark nodded and went back to fingering Jack, adding a third finger and some more lube. I focused on licking and sucking little love bites all over Jack's chest and torso, occasionally grazing my teeth over his skin or blowing on a spot I had just sucked. Jack's eyes crossed from pleasure and he bucked wildly into the open space we had formed around his groin, preventing him from getting any satisfaction that way. When I was sure he was okay, after checking with him again, I rolled a condom on him, to make cleanup easier later, and started stroking a light hand along his hard length. He made a choked noise, deep in his throat and his eyes closed as he grunted bouncing back and forth between Mark's hand and mine. He came quickly, but we kept going, continuing to tease and torment him, getting him ready for more. The cock ring kept him hard and I took advantage of that, scooting down the bed to roll his hot dick between my breasts, teasing myself almost as much as him, making his eyes pop back open as he stared into my breasts, seemingly hypnotized. Jack's deep chest moans were getting Mark and I both worked up too. We both loved the sounds he made during sex, but the gag helped keep him from being too loud, something we had found out during a hotel stay after we got a noise complaint. We had more than one, of course, because none of us were very quiet. In fact on one very memorable occasion, we had all three been gagged and two of us tied up. I was rapidly overheating and thinking about that didn't help cool me down any. I looked over at Mark. He was softly panting, finger fucking Jack with wild abandon now. I smiled and stilled his hand. "That's good enough Mark. Now that he's all ready, let's fill him up properly and get him set to watch us. Unless you want to fuck him first?" Jack moaned again and closed his eyes, trying to wriggle his ass into Mark's front and still keep fucking my boobs. He shifted just slightly and groaned as I changed positions, my breasts pushing more firmly into him, making his hips stutter. I grinned and did it again, and Jack came for the second time in ten minutes. I smirked and rolled the condom off him, replaced it with a new one, and grabbed the vibrator controller for his cock ring, turning it on for the first time all day. He jerked and started humping the air in earnest, seeking pleasure and release. 

It was Mark's turn to groan. "God, Sean, you're so sexy like this, all fucked out already and still chasing more..." He ran a hand down Jack's ass, making Jack rut against the hand without thinking. I waited, watching to see what Mark would decide. After few seconds of feeling Jack up, he looked over at me. "I'm so weak. I just want to make our baby boy here feel so good... I forgot we need to punish him. Come get him away from me please, babe. Then come back and we can play together."

I nodded, smiling, and came over to Jack, gently manhandling him to the far edge of the bed, where I secured his feet and wrists to the bedposts, retying him in a way so he could still move a little and not hurt from holding the position for a while, but was still restrained. Then I checked to make sure he was still okay (he was) and started lubing up a rather large dildo. Jack whimpered slightly when he saw it, trying to move towards me. I chuckled. "Is somebody eager? Don't worry sweetie. I'm going to make sure we take care of you before we get distracted. And can you promise to be quiet now?" Jack nodded. I took out the gag. "Since we might be too distracted to notice you blinking at us, I'm going to make sure we can hear you again, but if you make too much noise, I'll come up with a much worse punishment, like spanking you with the toys still in. You know I'll do it too, so be a good boy."

Jack swallowed, drooled a little again, and looked at me. "Yes Mistress. Pl-lease, I need something inside me. Soon."

I nodded and grabbed his chin. Kissing him deeply as I slid a wireless vibrating egg in first them gently started fucking the dildo into him, using it to push the egg further in until I felt his whole body shake and shiver. "Did somebody like that? Hmm? Is that toy in there so good now that you can't even talk anymore, baby?"

Jack nodded and bucked back into the bed a little, moaning as it drove the dildo in a little further. I let him fuck himself on it for a minute, making sure he was okay, then crawled back over to Mark, shimmying my ass and hips in Jack's face a little as I left. He panted and moaned again, quietly. I grinned. Mark grabbed me with his good arm, rolling me into him. I shifted so I was in a better position and reached down, rubbing his hard, throbbing dick. He gasped, loudly. "Babe, please. No. I want to be inside you. Even if you have to do most of the work because of my ribs. I need you. Please."

I kissed him, letting his member go and wrapping my arms around him. My baby bump meant we weren't aligned as perfectly as sometimes, but it was still small enough that it wasn't really in the way. "Of course, Mark. Just tell me what you want. I want to make both my boys feel good." 

Mark smiled at me, using both arms to hold me as best he could, just hugging me while he took a minute to catch his breath and calm down. I smiled back at him, peppering his face with sweet little kisses that kept us both ready but didn't really inflame either of us. Jack groaned again behind us. I turned my head to see him fucking into the bed as hard as he could, bouncing on the toy in his ass with enthusiasm. It reminded me I still hadn't turned the vibrator on yet, so I did, making him mewl out an involuntary sound and try to change angles. The vibrator on the cock ring was still going too, and Jack was just going crazy, trying to interpret all the different sensations and react to all the places his body was telling him felt good. He was constantly panting and moving, unable to keep still at all. Mark's grip on me tightened as he watched Jack dry orgasm and I could feel the effect it had on Mark. I turned back to face him again and lined us up, gently sliding onto his dick. When he was fully settled inside me, I kissed his shoulder and started to move, driving him crazy with very gentle, very controlled sex while he watched Jack continue try to handle everything, being completely overwhelmed and loving it. I knew Jack's sounds by now and knew he wasn't in the bad over-stimulation stage yet, or even close, so I just watched Mark and worked on taking him apart as softly and sweetly as I could. When he came, it was with a long, drawn out sigh and moan. The sound made Jack twitch, which set him off again, shifting the egg in his ass. He gasped and bucked wildly for a few seconds while I rolled away from Mark, who was now looking sleepy and satisfied. I smiled and kissed his cheek as I rolled away. He smiled back and closed his eyes. I could tell he was asleep by the time I got over to Jack's side. Jack was crying, tears rolling down his cheek, great racking sobs, from too much pleasure, too much sensation, not enough time to process anything. I rested my hand on his shoulder long enough to get his attention and turned off the cock ring. The egg was on the lowest setting still but only seemed to be a problem when Jack moved the dildo certain ways. When Jack looked into my eyes, he swallowed as many tears as he could. "Pl-lease, love. I n-need ye. I've been a go-od b-boy. H-help me n-now?"

I leaned forward and kissed him sweetly. "Of course. I think you learned your lesson. And you did a good job not being too loud. Now I'll help you finish and feel all better, okay? First, do you want to have me fuck you harder with the toys until you cum again, or do you want me to just help you get free and clean up?"

Jack shook his head. "N-no mistress. P-p-please. Make me cum. I want tam-make ye feel good too."

I smiled. "Oh, so you want me to fuck you with the toy while I ride you? Or do you want me to take that out and you do me doggie style while I control the two vibratos that have been giving you so much trouble?"

Jack's eyes glazed over at the thought of the second one. "Pl-please. Tha second. Oh please. Hurry."

I chuckled and moved very deliberately down Jack's body slowly taking the dildo out, fucking him with it a little more as I did, making him pant and buck again. When it was out, I reached two fingers in to check the placement of the egg and tweaked it a little, making it ride directly on Jack's prostate. I might have massaged his prostate a bit in the process as well, making him whine a high pitched noise and cum dry again. When I took my fingers back out, I wiped them off with a wipe from the tub we always kept on the nightstand, taking the condom off him as well and cleaning him up a little. When I was done I looked at Jack's face again. He was lost, seeing something no one else could caught in the hazy of so many orgasms. I touched his shoulder, a signal I was checking his mental state, if he failed to respond properly, the session was over now. If he wanted to keep going, I was going to cut this short soon because I knew Jack would get lost in his head if I didn't. Jack looked at me and nodded. I bit my lip. "Words, baby boy. You know the rules. If you can't find the words, we're done. I think you're almost finished anyway."

Jack shook his head to clear it. He looked at me again. "I'm still good. So good. Please, keep going, for just a little longer love. P-please?" I heard the slight tremble at the end, but otherwise Jack's voice was strong and he sounded okay. 

I sighed and nodded. "Okay, Sean, but just a little while. Then I'll clean us all up and we can take that nap." Jack nodded and squirmed, starting to look desperate and needy again, clearly trying to reach for me. I smiled again. Do you want me to let you loose? I can untie you now, if you want, love."

Jack nodded again, panting. "Please. I want ta touch ye. Ta hold ye."

I smiled and nodded, untying him and gently massaging his wrists before I let him loose. He immediately pulled me down into him, hugging me close, grinding on me. I raised an eyebrow at him. "Behave a minute Sean. I still need to get your feet loose. And maybe take off that cock ring." Jack whimpered a little and nodded, bucking slightly as his hands found the vibrator control and he turned the egg back on, to the lowest setting. I took it from him, shaking my head, but smiling. Then I untied him the rest of the way. As I was coming back up his body, I stopped twice, once to remove the cock ring and once to press several kisses into his stomach and chest. Jack whimpered a little, but stayed still until I was back in a more comfortable position. As soon as I was back up and more comfortable, Jack pounced. He started covering me in kisses, his hands roaming all over me, making me feel like my skin was on fire. Within moments I was panting just as hard as Jack. When he stroked a hand along my slit, I nearly lost my mind. He instantly moved over me and plowed into my wet heat, driving me through an intense orgasm and straight back up to the edge of another. When he hit an orgasm at the same time my second one crested, I heard a whine in his moan that I knew meant he was done, so overstimulated things were just too much, overwhelming him no longer in good ways. I panted at came down as quickly as I could, turning the vibrator off and gently easing him off me. He panted and whimpered at every touch and movement he made now. I sighed. "Hang on Sean. I'll make it all better, okay? Just hang on for one more minute." Jack nodded tightly and hugged his arms around himself, curling up tight. I reached over and got some clean wet wipes and proceeded to clean him up, as gently and carefully as I could. I also eased the egg out of him and cleaned it, putting it away, along with all the other toys and things we had gotten out, in the box to be washed later (we had two boxes, clean and needs a good wash). I looked at Jack again. "Okay baby boy. Do you want me to cuddle you, take a shower with you and wrap you up in the super fluffy blankets, or just wrap you up in the blankets and give you your juice?"

Jack looked at me, a small smile on his face. "A shower, then cuddles under tha extra fluffy blankets, please. And I can wait while ye clean Mark up a bit."

I nodded, leaned over him and grabbed one of the bottles of juice we always kept by the bed for aftercare when we had a particularly hard session. I handed it to him with a kiss on the forehead, stroking a hand down his cheek lightly. "Here you go, sweetie. Just relax a minute for me. I'll be right back to take good care of you." Jack nodded and snuggled into a clean spot on the bed, slowly coming back to reality. I washed Mark up, even as he slept on, his injured body exhausting him and keeping him asleep. I kissed his cheek when I was done and wrapped him up in the blankets. He smiled in his sleep as I turned back to Jack. "Okay, I'm all yours now. Let's go get that fast shower and get all cleaned up. I'm going to put one of the blankets that didn't get all nasty but still needs cleaned down for when we come back, and set the extra soft blankets out. Do you want the green, the blue, or the grey one today?"

Jack sipped his juice, scooting close to me. "All of them. I'm still cold." I nodded and got the blankets out as we headed into the shower. We were both in and out of the water in under ten minutes, then came back to lay down together, cuddled close, wrapped up in warm, soft fleece blankets. Jack was asleep in about ten minutes. I stayed awake a little longer, but did end up falling asleep, my arms wrapped gently around Jack's body, my back pressed against Mark. I woke up first, a couple of hours later, stretching and yawning. I was a little surprised when neither man stirred, but grateful as well. I grabbed my phone off the bedside charger and saw messages from the prospective editors I had email. I smiled. Only one had agreed to work with Jack, out of the possible three, the others claiming not to have the time, but both Jack and I had been hoping PixlPit, or Robin Torkar, would be the one to accept, on a trial basis for the moment. He was. Robin was the first name on both our lists when we had contacted people. He had created animations for both Jack and Mark (as well as a lot of our other friends) in the past. He was an extremely talented creator. I emailed him back right away, asking him how he wanted to handle getting things started, including did he want to come out and meet us in person to get the initial stage of things setup, with us paying him to travel and giving him a place to stay for the trip. Then I went back to the other emails I had received, looking them over. A few of the prospective editors had replied for Mark as well. Two of them, Ethan Nestor and Kathryn Knutsen, or CrankGamePlays and VeryTiredKat, responded that they were interested in working with Mark. I sent an email to each of them, asking them the same questions I had sent Robin. I was just finishing up when I felt Jack wake up beside me by cuddling his face into my shoulder. I smiled and looked over at him. "Hey love. Whatcha working on now? Anything good?"

I chuckled. "We got replies from the potential editors and I was just trying to get the next step moving." I sighed and cuddled Jack a little closer. "How are you feeling sweetie. I know earlier was pretty intense, but you really seemed like you needed it. What's on your mind?"

Jack shifted slightly, not meeting my eye. I reached over and lifted his chin, then gently stroked his cheek. Jack sighed and leaned his face on my hand. "I love ye so much lass. Sorry for dodging tha question. I guess I'm just worried about this whole VISA thing. And earlier was perfect. Ye brought me back and took care of me just like I needed, right when I needed it. Thank ye."

I smiled. "Hey, we agreed to that before. Besides, I like making sure you and Mark are okay after we do those kinds of things, especially when things get intense. You guys take care of me too, when I need it. And I know you and Mark have been stressed, which means sometimes you need a little extra. I was just hoping I read the clues you gave earlier right."

Jack grinned at me and nodded. "Yeah. I was afraid ye would miss them. Now, pretty lady, ye were telling me about tha potential editor situation? Did anyone I wanted email back? Did Robin?"

I chuckled. "Yup. All three of the people you had me reach out to got back to us. Only Robin said yes though. Here, just read what he said and I wrote back." I opened the email again and showed him the chain of linked messages, letting him read it over. He grinned a bit brighter when he finished reading. "So, what do you think, Jack? You ready to bring him in right away?"

Jack nodded again and tucked himself into my side. "Yep. Might as well start now, so things run smooth if and when things have ta switch over. Adam has been saying he's ready ta move on ta something else anyway. He said he's giving me at least a month ta find someone else ta edit. I just want tha upheaval ta settle down a little so I can focus a bit on YouTube again. I feel like I'm drifting."

I frowned slightly, listening. "Hmm. Adam hasn't told me he was leaving yet. Maybe he's just trying to see if he can get more money? I'll have to talk to him. I am still his boss. But that's not for today. Today, we have Felix's party in a little while. We probably ought to go ahead and get up to get ready. We said for everybody to get here around five, right?"

Jack nodded and noticed it was about three thirty. I sighed when he groaned. "For fuck sake. We overslept. I need ta get up and get Mark ready, get tha food finished, tha cake frosted, and a million other things. I was so tired though, I clearly needed tha sleep more than I thought."

I chuckled as I kissed Jack's cheek. "Sean, sweetie, sleeping is not a crime. I knew you were exhausted. And you don't have to do everything alone. None of us do. Remember, we all have each other's backs and we have a lot of other people supporting us too. Now, just stay calm, if you can. You still haven't been given the all clear with your kidneys, blood pressure, or heart yet." I rested my head against Jack's shoulder and set a hand on his chest over his heart. "You're staying so strong for Mark and I, but you have to remember to take care of yourself too, or if you won't I'm going to have to. And I need to concentrate on taking care of these babies, even if I am doing a lot better than I was. We still have a really long way to go before they get here." I looked into Jack's eyes, seeing him calming back down. "I'm not saying we shouldn't get up and get ready, but just don't beat yourself up for taking some downtime. Honestly, cut yourself some slack, sweetie."

Jack smiled at me and hugged me close for a second. "Ye're right love. I am too hard on myself sometimes, but I worry about ye trying ta take over and do things when I don't do them. I am listening ta ye." He sighed. "It's just hard for me ta let things go. And with my VISA still unresolved... It's really been getting ta me lately. I need ta know what's tha decision is on that, so I can help make plans."

I wrapped Jack up in a tight hug and drew him in for a long, lingering kiss. "Sean, you know things will work out, one way or another. We have some very solid plans in place. If you are really that worried, we can finalize our plans for Thanksgiving right now. We will go to my family for Thanksgiving day and fly out to Ireland to stay until we can get you back in the country, legally." I moved his hand over my baby bump. "You aren't going anywhere alone. I have been researching a little more too. If we don't want to go to Ireland after Thanksgiving, as a group, all you would have to do is fly back to Ireland for a few days, and come back as a visitor, instead of on a work VISA. It would actually give you six months longer to stay before you would have to leave. There is no way in hell it would take us six more months to get everything resolved. Even if I had to face down the entire US department of Immigration. The babies would be here by then too, so we could all travel with you, if it came to that, safely."

Jack looked stunned. I heard Mark laugh behind me. "Babe, I think between your plans and the thought of the INTERNATIONAL outcry, you might make the entire US government tremble. Now, both of you scoot over here. I need a hug too. Jack, I know it's hard, not knowing what's going to happen next, but remember, we're here for you. If you want us to go with you, back to Ireland to live, we will. We love you and want you to be happy." I nodded as Jack and I both moved over to cuddle Mark for a minute.

Jack smiled at both of us, humming a soft little happy sound. "I dunno why I didn't talk ta tha two of ye about this. Ye both make me feel so much better about things. I guess I just didn't want ta worry ye."

I huffed a soft laugh and kissed the end of his nose. "Jack, I knew you've been grinding about this for weeks. I was just afraid you would stress more if I brought it up. You know I have plans, upon plans, upon plans. I mean, I probably have enough contingency plans to get us through no matter what happens. And I want to have you apply for dual citizenship of the US, soon. I don't know if you have thought about it much, but it would guarantee we couldn't be forced apart if something happened, same as the girls and I getting dual citizenship. You could apply because we can prove you have biological children who were born here and are citizens and are engaged to a natural born citizen of the country. If we need to go ahead and get married, legally, to smooth the citizenship process, I'm not opposed. I think we should just do a small legal ceremony at the courthouse though for that and have an actual wedding with the family, friends, and everyone later. Unless you want to wait?"

Jack smiled at me and shook his head. "No, love. I want ta marry ye as soon as we can arrange it. Ye mean tha world ta me. I'm fine with a small thing at tha courthouse then a big event later for everyone, as long as ye don't mind. And ye're right, I should apply for citizenship instead of just trying ta keep tha VISA renewals going indefinitely. It's not like ye're asking me ta give up my citizenship of Ireland in favor of tha US either. I don't know why I didn't think of this sooner."

Mark chuckled. "That's why she's in charge. She notices all these little details we miss."

I grinned. "That's right. Now, let's get a move on here guys. Jack, go get clothes for Mark and yourself please. I'm going to help Mark sit up, then we can help him dress and get him in the wheelchair. I'll go get dressed after we get him settled and then we can go finish getting the house ready for the party. Mark, we need balloons inflated, I think. Can you manage that if I get things setup? We have the balloon pump, so you wouldn't even need to blow them up the hard way."

Mark blinked and looked thoughtful. "Probably. Felix wanted balloons?"

I grinned and shook my head. "Nope. I'm just going to have you inflate a dozen or so to hang outside, by the area for parking, so we don't have to keep answering that question when people get here. Oh and maybe hang a few off the mailbox, so people don't miss the turn. Fe invited a few people who I've never met and I want to make sure they don't get too lost." I kissed Mark as Jack and I shifted away. Jack went to go gather clothes. 

Mark looked down at himself, and blinked. "Uh, babe? Did I get a shower I forgot about? I kind of expected to be all gross and sticky and messy, but I'm not."

I laughed. "Sweetheart, I cleaned you up. You fell asleep right after we finished, so I, um, helped Jack for a while and cleaned you both up. I washed you down pretty well, first with wet wipes, then with a clean towel after Jack and I showered. Jack needed a little extra TLC, so I got out the special blankets and cuddled him until we fell asleep. I made sure you were okay too though before we drifted off." I bit my lip and looked at Mark. "Babe, are you okay? Did the exercise hurt you?"

Mark just grinned at me. "Nope. You know you were really gentle. I feel all relaxed and happy now. Jack looks a lot less stressed too."

Jack laughed from behind Mark. "Oh, I am. Tha lass had me feeling all loose and just better before I fell asleep. And ta tell ye tha truth, that was probably tha best sleep I've had in a while."

I grinned and shook my head. "Good. Now, let's get you up Mark." Jack sorted the clothes as I started shifting Mark into the sitting position. I got him up, leaning on me, and swung his legs out to hang over the side of the bed, making it easier for both of us to balance. Jack handed me Mark's shirt and I gently eased it on, going slow and carefully, especially over the cast and around Mark's ribs. Jack meanwhile was slipping Mark's feet and legs into underwear and pants. We would pull them up when we got Mark off the bed to hop over to the wheelchair in just a minute. I finished before Jack, so I grabbed the hairbrush off the bedside table and did a fast brush of Mark's floof, neatening him up a good bit. Jack helped Mark over to the chair, settling him, while I slipped over to the closet and found a maternity dress to wear. I decided on a dark, almost midnight blue dress, long and soft, with gold shimmers threaded throughout. Jack had bought it for me as a birthday present and I loved it. It was almost obscenely stretchy, so I knew I'd be able to wear it for most of my pregnancy, much to my delight. I put my underwear on and dropped the dress over my head, loving the way the material just slid down over me and hung like it had tiny weights at the hems without pulling, bunching, or straining. The simple untailored cut meant I could dress it up by adding a belt, or just wear it like this for a simpler look and it would continue to look good as long as it fit me. I brushed my own hair and applied some very light makeup, then joined the guys in the kitchen. Mark was sitting at the table, mixing whatever Jack handed him, while Jack was finalizing all the food prep. I smiled from the doorway, watching them with pride. "You guys are doing great. Can I do anything to help in here? Or should I just get the table for the gifts set up and get the decorations out?"

Jack looked at me, a small smile on his face. "Ye can sit down with us and rest. Pa already decorated, while we were napping, apparently. We stopped in tha playroom when we came out of tha bedroom because we heard voices. Ma has tha girls, who are all dressed and ready, and she and Pa are reading ta them. Well, Pa's reading. Ma's knitting. Steph and Dani were drawing. Ti and Sammi were cuddling Pa. Ma came over and told us she and Pa had decided ta get tha house ready because they found yer 'Ta Do' list and ye had written where everything was, so they did as much as they could. Ma said she wasn't sure about tha food since she knew we had changed plans, but she got a couple of pans of frozen food out ta thaw and bake. We already popped them in tha oven."

I nodded and stepped over to Jack, leaning into him. "Well, alright then. Do you want me to frost and decorate the cake?"

Jack's smile brightened. "Please! I dunno what I'm doing with that kind of thing, and would probably just make a mess. I'll mix up tha frosting now."

I smiled, nodded, and grabbed a seat, sliding my chair next to Mark and giving him a quick kiss. He grinned and stirred the bowl of what looked like an epic fruit salad, trying to get everything fully mixed. By the time he was done, Jack came over with the frosting for me. I chuckled when i noticed it was tinted a light blue. I assembled the two layers of cake, asking Jack to make a chocolate creme layer for in between and explaining how it would be made, then built the cake, used the leftover chocolate creme for the crumb coat (the layer of frosting or topping just on the outside of the cake, usually very thin, that prevents the outside of the cake from tearing or crumbling into the decorations and outer frosting while the cake is being worked on), then frosted the cake with the pale blue icing, being as neat as I could. When I was done, I stood up and mixed three very small batches of decorative icing, one a thicker, stiff frosting for building things like flowers or piping art onto the cake, which I tinted a dark blue, one batch a gel in bright purple to write a message on the cake, and the final batch a medium texture frosting for whatever else needed done, which I divided into three piping bags after I tinted it green, blue, and red. Then I got to work, making a truly beautiful cake, with a veritable riot of presents down one side, and a large brofist rising out of the center of the cake. Around that, I wrote 'Happy birthday Felix! Stay awesome!' I used the gel icing to outline the brofist and several of the presents, really making them pop out. When I was done, I set everything aside and smiled, looking the cake over critically. I didn't notice Jack and mark lean over to look when they as I had finished, but blushed when they expressed how impressive it looked. 

Before we knew it it was time for the guest to start arriving. I helped Mark get settled on the couch while Jack worked on the last of the food prep. Then I went in to check on things in the playroom, smiling as all four girls rushed over and hugged me. They all wanted to pat my baby belly, even when I told them I thought the babies were asleep because none of them were moving right now. I stayed in the room, talking to Pa and Ma for a few minutes, letting the girls pat my belly until I heard the doorbell. I told everyone the party was starting and went to see who was here. I didn't realize I was trailing the girls like ducklings again until I opened the front door and saw Felix, Marzia, and Jacob all waiting. Jacob squealed and tried to dive out of Marzia's arms for the girls, but she held onto him for a minute while they stepped inside. I grinned as I saw more cars pulling up and our friends arriving. Within half an hour, everyone was here and the party was well underway. 

The party was a lot of fun, but I was glad we had all taken naps by the time we brought out the cake and presents. Felix was overwhelmed and got a little choked up when he tried to thank everyone. He was extremely surprised by the cake as well, and gushed over how wonderful everything was. Jack, Mark, and I blushed and grinned, waving him off. The party was his gift this year after all, so we had really wanted it to be great. By around nine thirty, the party was winding down and several people had to leave. Jacob was sound asleep, as were the girls. We offered to let Marzia and Felix stay over so they wouldn't have to wake Jacob up, and they readily agreed. Marzia made a quick run home to get them some clean clothes and the things they would need to stay overnight. Meanwhile, Felix, Jack, and I cleaned up the last of the stuff from the party and got a out a few card games to play until we all headed to bed. We ended up playing a game called Red Flags, with Marzia joining us when she got back, until around midnight when we all decided it was time for bed. We wished them goodnight as Felix and Marzia headed upstairs to the guestroom. The three of us took a minute to breath in the calm as we shut the house up for the night, turning off all the extra lights, locking the front door, and generally doing the things we did every night to secure the house. We got to the bedroom and just managed to get ourselves all ready to sleep and crawl into bed before we were all asleep. It had been a very long, but good day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for all the delays lately folks. I've been struggling with depression, my health (including being in and out of the hospital for being sick and having a VERY sever infection [they actually told me I was septic, which shouldn't have amused me, but it did], but I'm doing better now, except for a cold and allergies), and a bunch of really stressful things happening around me. I have basically had no downtime, except when I have been very ill, for the last three months, so my writing has had to take a bit more of a back burner while I dealt with the rest of my life. Hopefully, things will be settling down, but I do have physical therapy starting up so who knows.


	26. Surprise! *

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, NO KINK SHAMING!! Lol. I have I very dirty mind... This scene was way toned way, way back from where my thoughts had originally taken it. I was too embarrassed to post the other version, or even to really write it out properly. All I can say is, thank god I have my own computer and phone and know how to use a firewall and incognito mode on my browsers. *cough* Research, I swear it was all research. *cough*
> 
> \------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The rest of the weekend after Felix's party was spent getting decorations ready for next weekend, planning a little more, and hanging out with our friends and family at home, including lots of cuddles, snuggles, and more than a little sexy time for Mark, Jack, and I, when we could slip away together, usually while the girls were napping. In fact, we made no secret about it, so Ma, Pa, and our friends who were around teased the guys quite a bit. Mostly the family didn't comment to me, other than to say they were glad to see me feeling better and back to my usual energy levels. I saw quite a few winks when they said that, but all it took to shut most of them up was one raised eyebrow or a sweet, veiled word (often a reminder of something they didn't want me to share with everyone else) and they immediately changed the subject, often somewhat abruptly. I just giggled and let it go. I stepped in to rescue Jack and Mark a few times as well, when I felt like the teasing was getting out of hand or was too much for them and both men were always grateful. By Monday, we were all feeling as ready for the upcoming week as we could be. I called the office and set up a time to meet with legal on Friday morning. Mark wanted to come in with us, to hear for himself what they had to say to us, so we all decided that day we would head in around nine, then meet with legal at nine thirty, head out at lunchtime to my OB appointment with Dr. Sara, then come home and get the kids Halloween party started around five. I planned to make all the food, with Jack's help, the night before, so we wouldn't need all that long to prep the day of the party. We could decorate on Thursday night too. 

Monday, Jack, Mark, and I filmed from home, as we had been since Mark got hurt. I filmed a game video with the girls for the shared channel, which Jack ended up joining me for partway through. The fans had all been clamoring for more videos on this new channel and the girls were having a blast filming with any and all of us, being extra good when we suggested we might want them to help film, or as a reward for good behavior they would ask to film or have us read what the viewers were commenting. I was helping Mark film now too, splitting my filming time between my channel, the shared channel, Jack's videos and Mark's now as well. But since I wasn't editing any of them, it was a lot easier on me to do this than all the usual billion side things and filming. Jack, Mark, and I had all been written into support roles for the show, helping ease us back out of the main production, but still keeping us on cast. Mark's accident had been explained, as had both my pregnancy and Jack's VISA issues, at length. The fans of the show were up in arms about the possibility of Jack being sent back to Ireland and had been sending massive amounts of mail to the show in support. It was keeping Jack's team busy when they weren't editing for him. Robin had gotten back to us as well, and agreed to fly in to meet with Jack (and me). Ethan and Kathryn were coming out as well, planning to arrive on Wednesday. Robin would be arriving on Wednesday evening, and was going to meet us on Thursday. It was going to be a very busy few days for us indeed. Tyler was helping us get rooms ready to let Robin, Ethan, and Kathryn, who would be staying with us in our currently empty in-law suites, while we prepped contracts and hammered out the details to start the business that we would use to pay everyone once we actually hired them, if we hired them. By Wednesday morning, everything was ready and I had a few surprises in store for everyone. 

Tyler helped Mark get in the shower, where Jack and I helped him wash up, then we helped him back out to where Tyler was waiting to get Mark dressed for the day. Jack and I finished washing up and hauled ourselves out of the shower soon after, dressing quickly in professional looking clothes, for the most part. My maternity dress was about as professional as I could go, being sixteen weeks along or so. My baby bump was huge now, really popping out in the last week, again, so I looked closer to seven or eight months pregnant than the four I really was. It made me sigh every time I thought about how big I already was getting to be, but I didn't care much, as long as the babies and I were all healthy. I felt arms go around my waist as I finished adjusting my dress into place, making me turn to Jack with a warm smile. "Hey sweetie. What's on your mind?"

"I just couldn't keep my hands off my super sexy fiancee. Ye look more beautiful every time I look at ye, I swear. And that dress looks lovely on ye. I feel so lucky lately, even with all tha crap we've been going through. Now, let's go feed ye, and these little beans, before tha day gets too crazy. We have a load of shit ta get done today."

I chuckled and kissed his cheek. "I know Sean. Believe me, I know. I need to run out and do a few errands today too, around picking up Ethan, Kathryn, and Robin. Though, I think Felix was going to swing by the airport and pick Robin up for us, while we help make Jacob's Halloween costume with Marzia, right?"

Jack blinked. "Um, I have no idea. Ye scheduled everything, and Mark and I just let ye handle it, so I really don't remember what tha plan was. Do ye need my help with tha errands, love? I could probably slip away with ye for a bit ta get things done, if ye need."

I smiled and shook my head. "No thanks. I shouldn't be long. Besides, I feel fine today and it will do me good to get out of the house for an hour or two, away from work. You should stay here and help Tyler and Mark prep the last of the things we need for the guest house so the new team can all stay and be comfortable. And someone needs to stay here to help your parents watch the girls, even if I manage to leave during nap time. Mark can't go running upstairs to help them, or carry them if they need it. And I promise, none of the errands involve lifting anything heavy. The heaviest thing I plan to pick up is a prescription bottle, or possibly some mail at the post office. We'll be fine." I rested my hand, and Jack's, on my baby bump, smiling fondly, a soft expression on my face. 

Jack grinned. "Good. I know ye're being sensible, but I still worry about ye, and so does Mark. We can't help it. But ye're right too. It will do ye good ta get out and do something away from tha house, work, and doctors stuff for a bit. We'll all still be here when ye get back. Then tomorrow we hash things out with tha editors, and see if they like tha offers we have ta make them, and get ready for tha kiddie party. Friday is going ta be long as fuck, what with tha legal meeting, doctor visit, and tha kids party. Why did we plan all that in tha same day again?"

I laughed, stroking a hand along Jack's cheek. "Because we're crazy. And because that was the only time we could fit everything in. Saturday is Halloween itself, and between the afternoon trick-or-treating and the party at Arin and Suzy's place in the evening, it was all everybody could manage. I want to film a vlog Sunday, about the baby results. Actually, I want to film a couple. One just for my channel, I think, and one of the family reaction, including the girls, to go on the shared channel. I'm so excited to see more ultrasound images and actually find out what our little beans genders are. Not that I really have any preferences, I just want to know as much about them as I can, as soon as I can. And I want to share that knowledge with everybody else, as well." I smiled brightly and gently pulled out of Jack's arms. "Now, come on babe. I need to eat. These little rock stars are starting to wake up and let me know they are hungry."

Jack took my hand and followed me out the door, smiling and shaking his head slightly. "Ye know love, it always amuses me how apt tha names ye call tha babies are. Tha girls were our princesses, before they were born, and they really are princesses. Even if Sammi and Dani aren't tha girliest princesses."

I laughed again. "Well, does that really surprise you? I told you, a bunch of times, I wasn't either. Besides, it's too early to tell what they'll be like later. They might be growing super fast, but they are still so young and changing everyday." I sighed, a little wistfully. "I can't believe they are already so close to being two years old. Next week they'll be twenty-one months old. Can you believe that?" I shook my head.

Jack nodded. "I know. It's amazing. And tha new babies will be here before ye know it too. But I started ta say, before we got sidetracked here, was how tha YouTube community does view them as basically royalty. I think ye calling them princesses so much, ta tha fans, before tha girls were even born, cemented tha idea in everyone's heads. If ye call these new little ones rock stars, I'm sure that's what tha communities will be calling them too. Tha fans listen ta ye, a lot, and definitely go with whatever ye say."

I grinned, ducking my head, as we sat down at the table. Mark caught my expression and raised an eyebrow. I giggled a little. "Jack just was telling me how much the fans listened to what I say. It just amused me. I guess they know I'm in charge there too." Both men laughed. 

Ma, who was fixing breakfast this morning, overheard and grinned too. "Ye do a fine job, keeping everyone in line, lass."

I blushed and ducked my head at the praise. Tyler chuckled, settling in his seat a little more comfortably, across the table from the guys and I. "You really do keep everybody in line, [y/n]. And you aren't bossy about it either. You just do things, ask other people to do what needs done, and expect they will without fussing. People usually do, probably because they see how hard you are working to keep everything running smoothly and you never ask people to do anything you wouldn't do, unless you can't do it for whatever reason. Plus, you always ask, never demand. And people see it's not like you're asking anything unreasonable and that you really are doing things in a way that benefits the most people at the same time. It's smart."

I blushed a little brighter, still looking down. "But that's just common courtesy. I just treat people the way I want to be treated, usually. That shouldn't be all that surprising or unusual."

Mark hugged me with his good arm and kissed my cheek, pulling me in close. "It shouldn't be, but it kind of is. Besides, you're so sweet and work so hard, people just want to help you. You lead by example." He rested his head on my shoulder. "Now, babe, I know the next few days are going to be crazy. Do we have a plan, or is it going to be chaos and confusion?"

I looked at him, catching his eye. "When do I not have a plan, Markimoo? The plan for today is you, Tyler, and Jack are going to get the guest house ready for the editors, who are flying in today. I'm going over the potential contracts one final time, then heading out to pick up Ethan at the airport at eleven. He and I will have lunch out and I need to stop for a few errands before I pick up Kathryn at one. We'll all head back here and while they settle in and unpack their stuff, we'll have nap time. Or at least rest time for you, Jack, and I. After that, probably around three thirty, we'll meet with them briefly to have them look over the contracts and start going over details of the job more. I'll come in around four thirty to help Marzia and Jacob make his costume and finalize the girls outfits for the party Friday, while Felix goes out and picks Robin up from the airport. I'll make dinner then too, and we can all eat. After dinner, Robin can get settled in and look over the initial contract, or just socialize with us, as can Ethan and Kathryn. Tomorrow, we can hammer out the details and have them start doing some editing stuff if they are ready and we want them to." I looked over at Tyler. "And Tyler, we didn't forget about you in this venture either. Mark is going to need a manager and team leader, especially since I'm going to have a lot of time where I can't do things because of the babies. We want to ask you to do it. And maybe to take over coordinating all three of our public appearances. We'd be hiring you through the company as well, and you'd have an official job title and everything." I smiled a little hesitantly. "You don't have to take the job, but it would be a huge help if you did."

Tyler looked stunned. Jack and Mark looked at me, surprised as well. Mark leaned over and whispered to me. "You didn't tell us that part, babe."

Tyler blinked. "That sounds perfect. But I feel guilty. I mean, I'm living here, rent free, and mooching all this food off you already. Now you want to pay me?"

I chuckled. "Tyler, you're doing a lot to help us. Of course we want to pay you for your work. And you've been helping Mark out with things Jack and I can't right now, due to health restrictions, so don't worry about the food or rent. Honestly, I feel like we owe you a huge amount for that already and the food and room doesn't nearly make up for it. I noticed you were really good at keeping Mark on schedule, so you were the first person I thought of when I decided to look for some help doing this part of the job for our team. Honestly, it's going to be a huge relief to step back a little and just focus on four channels, social media, being pregnant, and taking care of the family. I've been overworking for a long time now, and really need to step back. This forced downtime has helped me see it more clearly than ever, and showed me things won't fall apart if I'm not the one overseeing every detail directly. I just need to surround myself with people I can trust to handle things. And I'll still be involved and around, but just knowing I don't have to handle everything myself? It's a huge stress reliever."

Jack grinned and leaned into my side, opposite Mark, kissing me on the way. "Glad ta hear ye admitting ye don't have ta do everything, love. We certainly make enough money we can hire as many people as we need ta manage everything. None of us should be working ourselves inta tha ground tha way ye do at times. And all our friends have commented on it too, just so ye know. That's part of why everyone has been so worried about ye, with tha pregnancy."

I blew out a exasperated huff. "I know. I told Molly, Mary, Marzia, and Mandy at PAX I was feeling overworked and overstretched, before I even knew I was pregnant. I had been hoping that pulling my focus back from the TV show a bit would help, and it has, but it's not enough. I'm still too busy and stressed. I need to get more helpers."

Mark smiled and I felt his arm around me tighten for a few seconds. "Yeah, you do. We're just saying we like hearing you acknowledge that fact too." He smiled a little brighter as Ma handed out plates for all of us with scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, and fruit already dipped for us. He looked up at her. "Thanks Ma. This looks great. And I can feel the babies kicking [y/n], so it's definitely time for her to eat." I saw Jack nod on my other side and felt a little cranky that they felt the need to tell me when I should be eating, even if I knew they were right and had already stated I was hungry. I knew part of my crankiness was from hormones, but at the same time, it was irritating to have anyone tell me what to do, especially when I was already doing it.

Ma must have seen my expression. "Boys, ye best let her be for a few minutes. I knew yer worried about yer girlfriend, we all are, but yer babying her again and she getting upset. [Y/N] already said she was ready ta eat, didn't she? Well, acting like she isn't doing everything in her power ta care for herself and the eight wee ones is just goin' ta piss her off, and rightly. Ye've backed off a lot, but ye are both still a bit over protective and clingy sometimes. Let her come ta ye with problems, instead of trying ta anticipate where tha problems might happen and block tha way. Everyone will be happier for it."

Jack looked surprised, then guilty as he looked at me. "We're sorry love. We didn't mean ta overstep again."

I sighed. "I know. You and Mark are just trying to look out for me. I wasn't going to say anything, but it did irritate the hell out of me. Now, sit up and eat your food. You need to stay as healthy as you can too." I pressed a kiss onto his cheek as Jack sat back up and turned to Mark, who was looking down at the table, guilt clear on his face. "Hey, it wasn't that bad yet. I would have let you know. I just felt like you were telling me, subtly, I wasn't doing a good enough job taking care of myself. Think about it from my side of things, Mark. If you were the one who had all these restrictions in place, to protect eight helpless babies, whose body was changing so rapidly it often hurts, and whose hormones are making it hard to function, let alone act normally. Then someone who you love, deeply, and who loves you, came along and repeatedly started telling you that you weren't eating the way you should be or you needed to slow down because you might be getting tired. I know what my body is telling me, better than you do, babe, and I'm listening to it. Sometimes I can't eat when I should be, because the babies are crowding my organs out of the way, or I feel too sick, or even I just hurt too much. I'm being as careful, thoughtful, and patient as I can be. I know it's hard for you to watch. It's hard for me too, watching you be sad and uncomfortable, both because you're worrying about me, and because you are still so hurt. I wish I could kiss you and make it all go away, but..."

Mark looked up at me, a small smile on his face. "I know baby. I feel the same way, for you. I wish I could just wave a hand and the babies would be here, safe and happy, and all of us would be healthy." He blew out a sigh and slumped a little. "It doesn't work though."

Stephanie giggled. "Papa, ye aren't a genie."

That brought smiles out on everyone's faces. "No, Stephie, I'm not. I wish I was though." 

A dirty thought ran through my brain and I started giggling helplessly into Mark's shoulder. He looked at me and I could feel the question on his mind, so when I looked up, I leaned up and whispered, soft as a breath, directly into his ear what I had been thinking. "I'd rub your 'lamp' anytime. Among other things..." 

Mark blushed bright and grinned at me. I giggled again. He just shook his head and kissed me softly. "You're so cute, babe. Even if you are a handful this morning."

I laughed louder and looked down at my burgeoning baby belly. "Oh, I'd say I'm more than a handful. Maybe even more than an armload at this point. But as long as everybody's healthy, I don't even care. I might when I'm so big I can't move or breathe properly, but right now, I really don't mind." I rubbed a hand over my belly and giggled again. "Why do I feel more like the genie in the family? I rub my belly and watch it grow, then voila! Babies. That seems pretty magical to me."

Tiana giggled from her chair. "Yup. Momma, you's right, but it sounds a wittle silly. You's not a genie. Genies are boys."

I looked over at her and grinned. "Not all of them, sweetie. Some are girls too." I looked at Jack and Mark. "I'll have to show you girls an old TV show I used to watch. It had a girl genie in it. It was called 'I Dream of Jeannie' and Momma watched the reruns of that with Uncle Eddie, Uncle Darrell, and Grandma." I settled back in my seat and started eating. Everyone else was eating as well, so the conversation had died down to occasional comments about the food or a rare mumbled comment about something else. After we had all eaten, Jack, Mark, and I helped the girls get cleaned up and Ma, Pa, and Jack lifted them out of the booster seats. Ma and Pa chased them out to the playroom, promising to watch them for the day so we could get everything we needed done taken care of. I gathered the dishes and washed them quickly as the guys headed out to the guest house to get the rooms ready and everything squared away. Tyler hung back for a minute, offering to help me, but I just smiled and declined the offer of help. "Actually though, I do have one favor to ask of you. One of the errands I'm running today involves Jack, but he doesn't know about it yet. Can you make sure he and Mark get to the courthouse today, when I call you?" I smiled softly, suddenly feeling shy, and looked down. "Jack and I have decided to go ahead and get legally married, but we don't want to tell anyone else yet, really. Mark, of course, knows and agrees, and we want him, and you, if you don't mind, as our witnesses. It's going to make the whole immigration, VISA, and deportation issue a lot easier for us, moving forward. And Jack is going to apply for dual citizenship, so this can't come up again. We're still going to have a big family and friends wedding, which is why we aren't telling anyone about this, but this will be legally binding, making it a whole lot harder to send Jack back to Ireland, especially if I can't travel with him, because of the babies. I hope it won't come down to needing this in place, but I'd rather have it there and know, than keep worrying. I know Jack would too. He's stressing out so badly I'm scared he's going to have a health problem again because of it."

Tyler came over and hugged me. "Of course I'll witness and help get them there. This sounds really smart. And I'm honored that you'd pick me. Honestly, I would have thought you'd want someone else, like your brother, or Felix, Dan, Wade, or Bob to be there."

I blushed. "No. We want you. We know you can keep this a secret and you've been such a big help since you got here... You're one of Mark's closest friends. I do feel a little bad about asking you to keep this a secret for the moment, but we really don't want this to be the 'wedding' if you get what I mean. We just need the security of knowing it's there." I rubbing my belly again. "We're waiting the actual wedding stuff until after the babies are born and I've recovered a bit. Maybe next summer or fall. Not that it's going to be all that fancy. I want to get married by the stream in our backyard, in a simple, heartfelt ceremony. Or something equally small and beautiful, somewhere meaningful. And I want the girls as flower girls and ring bearers. I want to stream it, not live, but later, so the fans can see and be involved, even after the fact, and feel included. Hmm. I have an idea actually. I'll talk it over with Jack and Mark, but maybe we should fly back to Cincinnati and get married there, in the fall, with the falling leaves in the background. Or at my mother's house, up in the woods. She's got the room, and it would be gorgeous. Well, that's a discussion for another day. Today, I just want to have the legal papers filed and be able to have a copy in hand to take to the legal department at the TV show when we go talk to them on Friday morning." I grinned and kissed Tyler's cheek, surprising him. "Thank you for helping me with this. Jack doesn't know I made the appointment for us yet, even though we talked about this a lot lately."

Tyler blushed a little and waved his hand at me as he nearly ran out of the room, calling back to me as he escaped. "Well, I have a lot to do. Just call my cell phone half an hour before we need to leave."

I grinned and texted him immediately. *Tyler, Mark and Jack will need to be there at quarter to eleven, same as me. Ethan's flight doesn't actually get in until quarter of twelve and the official at the courthouse promised me we would be in and out in under twenty minutes. I should have plenty of time to go pick him up after that. I'm leaving in half an hour though, to get the other errands I need done squared away. Thanks again!*

I sat down at the office desk I shared with Jack to review the contracts one final time, smiling to myself and humming happily as I gave them one final going over. By the time I finished, it was time for me to get ready and leave. Fortunately, all I needed to do was slide shoes on, brush my hair, and grab my purse. As I walked out of the office, Dani came running up to me and hugged my legs. I smiled down at her. "Momma! I love ye! Can ye come pway with us? Pwwwwwease?"

I chuckled. "Sorry baby. Momma has to go take care of some things. Do you want to help me put my shoes on? I was just going to go do that when you came over."

Dani looked a little sad for a minute, but nodded and helped me slid into the grey flats I was wearing today, to match my grey and sapphire blue dress. Dani looked up at me after she finished. "Ye wook really pretty Momma. Is ye going ta tha doctor?"

I shook my head. "Nope. Momma has a doctor's appointment on Friday. Today I need to go get some new people that Momma, Daddy, and Papa are going to work with, hopefully, and run some errands. And thank you for saying I look nice." I bent down and hugged her. "I love getting compliments, especially from my lovely little princesses and their amazing daddies. Now, why don't you go ahead back into the playroom with your sisters and draw me a nice picture. You can show it to me when I get home later, okay? Bye pumpkin!" Dani scampered off, looking happy again. I sighed and stood back up, then headed back to the bathroom, where I brushed my hair. Then I grabbed my purse and headed out the door. I ran my errands at top speed, finishing just in time to send the reminder text to Tyler asking him to meet me at the courthouse with Jack and Mark. He replied immediately that he had just gotten Mark in the car and they were on the way. I smiled and headed to the courthouse to wait. The official we were meeting immediately called me over to a small room to start the filling in the paperwork after I assured her my witnesses and the groom were on the way. I was just finishing the last part of the form before the signatures when the guys all arrived. Jack looked startled and a little confused, as did Mark, until they realized what the papers were, Jack and I signed them, which Tyler and Mark witnessed, then the official asked us if we wanted to say anything or if we had any questions. None of us did, after I explained Jack and I were going to be having a more formal ceremony later, and the official smiled, nodded, and signed the document. She then turned to us and announced we were married now, legally, and gave me a copy of the marriage certificate and license, I smiled brightly. "Thank you." I turned to Jack with a grin. "Well, Sean, sweetie, it's official now." I leaned in and kissed him, a slow, sweet kiss. "I love you so much." I hugged him close.

Jack smiled and pulled me even closer, "I love ye too. Thank ye for this. Really. It makes it feel easier ta breathe, just knowing this is one more little brick in tha wall of defense ye have set up for me ta stay." He kissed me again, then rubbed my belly as the babies fluttered and kicked. "I love these little ones too. And our princesses. And ye Mark."

We both turned to Mark now, who was quietly crying, happy tears, and hugged him close. "We both love you, Mark. Thank you for being here too. Since this is the legal ceremony, we can all three share a wedding, if we want, later, with everyone else. But for now, we have other things to do. You two need to finish up at home. I need to go pick Ethan up, finish the errands, get lunch, get Kathryn, and get home. Do either of you have anything else you need while I'm out?"

Jack wrapped his arms around me again. "I don't think so love. Do ye want any company? Tyler and Mark could take care of tha rest of tha stuff at tha house, not there's really much left ta do, and I could come with ye, if ye want." 

I smiled at him and rested my head on his shoulder. "As long as Mark and Tyler don't mind, that's fine with me. I love spending time with you. That's part of why I married you, Jack." Mark chuckled and rested his good hand on my baby bump. I smiled at him. "I love spending time alone with you too, Mark. Or time with both of you. And time with the girls. Our family is amazing. And I like spending time with all our friends too." I felt a particularly strong kick from the babies and grimaced. "Oof."

Mark looked up at me. "Are you okay babe? I felt a really strong kick just now."

I nodded. "Yeah. I'm not sure what that was all about. Now, you and Tyler should head on home. Jack and I will be back before you know it. And if the preparations for our guests are all done, I know four little girls who would love some time with their Papa. Just try to rest and take it easy, if you can though, Mark. You're still healing, and I know when you move around much it hurts you. I hate seeing you hurting." I gently kissed him, then stepped away. Jack smiled at me, then hugged Mark, clapped Tyler on the shoulder, and come over to my side again. "Are you ready to head out now, Sean? I need to go to the pharmacy, pick up a few groceries, and drop off some dry cleaning, besides getting Ethan and Kathryn and grabbing lunch."

"I'm ready whenever ye are, love. Lead tha way." He gestured for the door, then grabbed my hand and we walked out of the courthouse, hand in hand, smiling happily. The babies were all kicking and moving like mad now, making me distracted and a little uncomfortable, something Jack noticed almost immediately. "Love? Do ye want me ta drive? Ye look a bit out of sorts."

I sighed. "Yeah. Just the babies squirming and kicking me a lot. If you'd drive, that would be great. I'm not sure why they suddenly decided to party, but I wish they would go back to sleep."

Jack nodded, took the keys from me, and helped me into the car. After he got in the driver's seat, he reached out a hand to rest it on my baby bump, smiling a little. "Maybe Mark and I can get tha wee ones ta calm down after we get ye home. For now, I can hum ta ye, or sing softly, unless ye want ta listen ta tha radio? I know music helped with tha girls, when they were restless."

I nodded, closing my eyes for a minute. "That would be wonderful, Jack. I love hearing you sing." I smiled at him as I opened my eyes again. "You have a great voice, no matter what you seem to think. It's one of the sexiest things about you."

Jack blushed and chuckled. "Okay, love. That statement alone tells me ye really must be in love with me. My voice is okay, but not that great." He shook his head, a teasing glint in his eyes. "Unless ye are trying ta say I'm just not a sexy man."

I looked at him, the love, lust, and emotions I was feeling for him shining out of my eyes. He swallowed. "That's not it at all, and I think you know it. I can barely keep my hands to myself around you and Mark, especially lately. And I think the fact that we have four kids already, under the age of two, with eight more on the way, would be a decent clue about how sexy I find you. And I hope you know how much I love you."

Jack looked at me, his own feelings clear in his face, his eyes. He leaned in and kissed me. "I know, love. Ye tell me all tha time. Not that I mind tha extra reminders. And I love ye just as much, I think. Ye are so important ta me, and ta Mark. Ye make us both better than we ever thought we could be and ye give us so much, not tha least of which is our wonderful children. Now, lean back and try ta get yerself comfy. That might help tha babies calm down too. They seem a lot less active when ye are relaxed, and less likely ta hurt ye." I nodded, reclined the seat slightly, and closed my eyes again as I felt Jack start the car up and heard him start to sing, very softly. I fell asleep a few minutes later without meaning to. I woke back up as Jack pulled into the airport and we both settled in to watch for Ethan. Jack grinned at me as soon as he saw my eyes open. "Good timing love. I just parked. I'm glad ta see ye were able ta relax and take a nap."

I smiled back at him, a little ruefully. "Yeah, sorry to fall asleep on you, like that. I didn't sleep too well last night. I was surprisingly nervous about today and the babies were really active all night long." I ran my hand over my abdomen and sighed softly. "They are already getting so crowded and big, I don't know what I'm going to do. Pretty soon I won't be able to move and I know they won't be able to either. I just want them all to be happy and safe."

Jack reached over and pulled me into a hug. "I know, love. Ye're doing really, really well. And I know it's hard on ye, being this pregnant. Just know, Mark and I are here ta help, however we can, and so are our friends. If ye need someone ta help with things like pushing ye around in a wheelchair, Danny, Felix, and Wade have all volunteered ta help already, and I know Bob and Arin will help out too, once they see everyone else pitching in. Tyler will too, unless we need him ta help with Mark instead. And I'm not going anywhere." I just relaxed in Jack's arms, neither of us wanting to let the other go for a few minutes. I felt him rubbing my belly and smiled. He kissed me then rested his head on my shoulder, still keeping his arms wrapped around me, despite the awkward angle. "So, ye were nervous about today, love? Was that because of meeting tha new editors or because of yer secret plan for this morning? That was so sneaky of ye, but it did mean I didn't have any time ta overthink things. Not that I had or have any doubts about being with ye, mind."

I chuckled. "Actually Sean, it was just nerves about if we could get everything done and whether or not everyone would approve of the terms of the contracts we laid out. I wasn't nervous about marrying you. I know how much you and Mark mean to me, how much you mean to each other, and how much I mean to you both. At least, most of the time. If I get too far in my own head, things get a little fuzzy, but both of you help me make sure that doesn't happen very often." I pressed a kiss into Jack's hair and shifted slightly in my seat, making both of us more comfortable. "And I know we did the right thing. We're just going to have more anniversaries than most people. That's all. And since we are legally married, be can have the big ceremony anytime. Not that the legal paper really means anything much to me. It's just going to make the whole dual citizenship application process a lot easier for you. And I want everything to be as easy and smooth as it can be. I kind of want to have Mark get dual citizenship too, with Ireland, so if something does come up, he won't have to worry about having a deadline."

Jack snuggled closer to me. "Ye're good at planning everything out for us, love. I've no doubt ye can get everything worked out for all of us. Just knowing ye are thinking about ways ta make sure we don't have ta be apart means a lot ta both Mark and I. We just worry about ye trying ta deal with too much. For now, just relax, Mrs. McLoughlin."

I grinned at Jack, my joy overflowing. "Hmm. I guess I am, aren't I? Oh my god. We just got married."

Jack laughed, amused at my reaction. "Yeah, we did. Are ye going ta change yer name? I don't care either way. Mostly I'm just curious."

I chuckled. "Hey, we could both change our last names to McLoughlin-Fischbach, and have Mark change his last name too, at least for non-business stuff. Then the whole family could have the same last name. What do you think? You and I could just file the paperwork with the marriage license, calling the change in this afternoon when we get home. We have ten days to decide." I smiled. "I'm going to change my last name either way."

Jack nodded. "Yeah, let's do it." Jack moved a little, turning in the seat to look at me better. "Ye look so happy, love. Ye're glowing with it. Just so ye know, I'm extremely happy too. Tha only way this could be any better, was if we didn't have tha looming VISA issues and if we could have been legally married ta Mark too."

I kissed Jack, a slow, sweet kiss as I met his eyes. We were both panting slightly when we separated. "I know, Sean. Now, I think I better go see if I can find Ethan. You just wait here." I winked at him, making him blush slightly. "You can calm back down to drive us to get some lunch. We can celebrate getting married later, after we get home, and include Mark, if he feels up to it." I giggled a little as Jack moved back over to the driver's side and shifted uncomfortably in the seat, trying to hide his sudden boner. He gave me a look, mildly annoyed, slightly amused, partly teasing, and full of lust. I just winked at him again. "Be back soon. Try not to get arrested for indecent exposure or something while I'm gone." Jack just growled at me as I slid out of the car and he muttered something under his breath that sounded remarkably like him calling me a brat. I giggled the whole way into the terminal where Ethan was supposed to be, after his plane landed. I looked up at the arrival board and saw he had already landed about ten minutes ago, so I wandered over to the baggage claim. Ethan was there, waiting for his bags, his bright blue hair making him easy to spot in the somewhat crowded area. I called out his name, making him turn around quickly and blink in surprise.

I walked calmly over to shake his hand. He was staring, slightly open-mouthed at me. When I stuck out my hand, he blinked and shook himself. "Sorry. I didn't mean to stare, it's just... I wasn't expecting you to come get me in person, or you to look so... ...pregnant. Wow."

I nodded, smiling in understanding. "Yeah, well, when you have eight babies growing at once, you get pretty big pretty fast. I'm just about at the sixteen week mark, so I still have a long way to go, but everyone seems to be doing really well so far. Now, come on. Grab your bags. Jack's got the car awaiting for us outside. Mark's getting things set up at home. You'll be staying with us, in the guest house, while you're here. But first, we're going to go get some lunch, then pick up Kathryn, Mark's other potential editor. Then we will all go home and you can meet everyone and look over the contract we have to offer you while you settle in tonight. Tomorrow you and Kathryn are going to meet with Mark and I and go over what you want changed, contract-wise, if anything, and discuss the details of what you'll be doing. I might be in and out some, depending on time, to help Jack do the same thing with his new editor." I looked at Ethan, biting my lip as a thought suddenly occurred to me. "Do you like kids?"

Ethan blinked, then grinned. "Yeah. Why?"

I smiled again. "Good. I don't know if you follow my channel at all, or saw the videos Mark, or Jack for that matter, posted a while back, but we have four little girls. They tend to bleed over into the rest of our lives, the same way these little rock stars will, I'm sure." I rubbed my belly, indicting the babies. "We have a separate channel that we record videos with the girls now and post family related announcements, but as one of the editing team Mark's hiring, you'll see the girls a lot and hear them mentioned even more. I used to be editor for both Mark and Jack, but things got too busy, then I got added to the TV show, which we have all stepped back from a little, at the moment. Anyway, I do still edit videos occasionally, and have kept control of the upload schedule, but mostly I've stepped back from doing that. I have four toddlers to chase, four YouTube channels to help run, and all the social media I can manage to squeeze in for all four channels. That's why we're hiring editors, before I get completely overwhelmed. And right now, we still have editing teams at the TV show, but that might change, especially if we have to go to Ireland because of Jack's VISA issues. We'll talk more about that later though."

Ethan nodded, and, having grabbed his bags from the carousel, looked at me expectantly. "Lead the way! I can't wait to meet Jack in person and see Mark again. This is all kind of like a dream come true and barely seems real. I'm so excited!"

I chuckled and we started walking back out to the car, where Jack was waiting.. "Yeah, I remember that feeling. I didn't even know who I would be working with when I originally got hired by the TV show to be the head editor for the YouTubers. At that point, no one knew anything about the project, not even that it was a TV show, outside of the writing team and creator, producer, and my boss. And I still run the editing department and scheduling for all the YouTubers associated with the TV show, even if I'm running it from home right now. My second in command is really good and I'm sure you'll be meeting her soon. Mark and Jack have head editors that report to me as well, but we're hiring teams, as back ups, outside the show. And you guys will be in charge, higher up the chain of command then anyone but Mark, Jack, and I. I don't think you'll find me to be too demanding a boss, and I keep in the know, both of what's going on on the channels and comments, and what's happening with schedules, TV stuff, and well, almost everything." 

I tapped on Jack's window, letting him know we were there. He grinned at me and popped the trunk open, then stepped out and swept me up in his arms, kissing me. I raised an eyebrow at him. Jack just grinned. "I missed ye. Now, ye get settled in tha front. I'll help Ethan with his bags. Love ye, lass."

I smiled and walked around to the passengers side door, getting in slowly and carefully. I sighed and listened to Ethan greeting Jack and Jack's easy welcoming reply. I smiled and took out my phone, checking for messages, and blinked. Kathryn had emailed me this morning, a message I had missed in all the excitement and fervor over everything else, that her flight was pushed back and she would be landing at noon. I blinked at looked ta the time. It was noon now. I jumped out of the car, as fast as I could safely move anyway, and called out to Jack and Ethan I'd be back in a few minutes. I found Kathryn, waiting at the baggage claim next to where her flight had just landed. I smiled and we went through the process of getting to know one another as we walked out to the car. Jack and Ethan had just finished loading Ethan's luggage and blinked in surprise when I walked up with Kathryn, who neither of them had met before either. We quickly got her bags loaded and everyone climbed in the car. I was sitting up front, next to Jack again. After everyone was more or less settled in, I turned around to look at Ethan and Kathryn, in the back seat. "Okay. So the plan was to go get some lunch, then come back and pick Kathryn up, but her flight time change threw that idea out the window. So now, my question to the two of you is, do we go out to eat, get takeout and head back to the house, or do you want me to make something at home for all of us so you two can stat to get settled in and go over the contracts we drew up?"

Ethan bounced in his seat a little, clearly excited. "Ooh! Let's go right to your house! I want to see everything and get started on stuff."

Kathryn smiled and nodded. "That sounds fine. And you really don't have to cook for us. Takeout or even drive through fast food is okay with me."

I made a scoffing noise, which made Jack crack up. "Now ye've done it, lass. [Y/N] is going ta want ta cook for ye, just ta prove how much better than that her cooking is. And believe me, it is better. Loads better. Worlds better."

I blushed. "Hush Jack. Just drive us home." I sighed and leaned over the center to rest my head on his shoulder. He smiled and sighed happily as he obeyed. Ethan and Kathryn chatted back and forth in the back seat, not really including us, but not blocking us out of the conversation either. By the time we pulled up at the house, they were chatting like long lost best friends. I was happy to see them getting along so well. I got out of the car and headed for the front door as soon as Jack parked. I was mobbed by the girls and Mark as soon as the door opened. It took me a minute to get free enough to introduce Ethan and Kathryn to the girls and Mark. Sammi and Steph both hugged Ethan's legs, taking an instant liking to him. Dani smiled at everyone, but hung back a little by Mark's legs, surprising us. And Ti just stayed long enough to wave, then ran off for the playroom at top speed. I shook my head and headed for the kitchen to start cooking. I didn't notice Jack follow me in until I felt arms around me again. I hummed a happy noise and kept working. Jack helped me make tacos. When everything was ready, a surprisingly short time later, I turned to him. "Well, Sean, let's go get everyone. The girls will be excited for tacos, I think."

Jack grinned and kissed the back of my shoulder, keeping his arms around me from where he stood, behind me. "Alright, Mrs. McLoughlin. Or McLoughlin-Fischbach. I love calling ye that."

I chuckled and turned in his arms, facing him now. "I love hearing it. And I love you. Now, let's go. We have guests to feed." We stepped apart reluctantly, but Jack grabbed my hand, gently pulling me along with him to go get everyone ready for lunch. I smiled when I saw Ethan and Kathryn in the playroom. Kathryn was sitting on one of the couches, Chica curled up in her lap, lazily petting her as Dani played with Chica's tail and gently petted her, singing a nonsense song about the adventures of the amazing pupper-snupp, at least from what I could tell. Sammi was curled up next to Mark, napping on one side, while Ti was on the other, nearly asleep as well. Mark was talking quietly to Ethan and Tyler. Ethan was sitting on the floor, on a beanbag, with Stephanie playing with blocks with him. She kept handing him blocks to add to the tower they were building. Tyler was sitting close by, on a second bean bag, petting Steve, who was also asleep. Jack grinned at me when we walked in.

"Okay, ye lot. I see how it is. Ye send us off ta work and get comfy in here playing with tha doggos and our beautiful princesses. Well, we made tha food and it's all ready ta eat, so ye best get washed up. Kathryn, Ethan, Tyler, after lunch ye can do whatever. I think we best be having a bit of a quiet afternoon. And some people here need naps after they eat. Now, which princess wants Daddy ta help them wash up?"

Dani grinned. "Me! Me! What is we's eating Momma? It smews so good. I's hungry today too!"

I chuckled and kissed her forehead as she ran over to Jack's side. "We're having tacos, baby. Daddy helped me made them." I turned back to the rest of the room as Dani and Jack headed down the hall. "Who's next? Anyone want Momma to help them?"

Sammi, who had woken up while Jack was talking, smiled at me. "Me please, Momma. I's awake, for now."

I kissed her gently on the forehead as she came over. "Glad to see it, sweet pea. You can take a nap after you eat, okay? Granny and Grandpa will probably even read you a story or two, if you ask nicely." Sammi clapped and grabbed my hand, clinging to me tightly. I looked down at her and raised an eyebrow. She just blinked sleepily and stuck her thumb in her mouth, making me shake my head a little. I looked over at Ti and Steph. "Tiana? Stephanie? You need to get washed up too. What grown up do you want to help you?"

Tiana smiled at me. "Uncla Ty! He can push Papa in ta wash up and then hewp me and I can hewp Papa get ta tha table. Please?" She turned to Tyler with big puppy dog eyes. 

He grinned and nodded. "Okay. How can I turn that much polite cuteness down? Let me help your Papa get into the wheelchair first, okay?" Tiana nodded, looking happy. I turned to Stephanie again. She was still playing with the blocks, ignoring me. 

Ethan winked at me. "Well, Miss Stephanie, I think the tower will still be here after lunch and nap time. Come on. Can you show me where the bathroom is, so I can wash up to go eat? I can help you wash your hands too." Steph sighed and nodded, standing up, then pulling Ethan up from the beanbag chair. I smiled at him as he went past and mouthed a 'thank you'. He just waved a free hand at me. 

I looked at Kathryn. "Do you want to wash up in the bathroom, or wash your hands in the kitchen? And did Mark and Tyler show you around the house yet?"

Kathryn chuckled quietly. "Yeah. I'll head out to the kitchen to wash up. It sounds like a traffic jam in the bathroom right now."

I chuckled as well. "Possibly. That's why the girls' bathroom down here has four sinks. And there are two bathrooms upstairs for them, for when they get a little older. Now, have you met Jack's parents? They're around somewhere. They have been a huge help to all of us, especially since Mark hurt himself. My Mom and Mark's Moms were here for quite a while too, but they had to head home for a bit." I rubbed my belly one handed, feeling the babies start kicking. "Well, that's my cue to go get some food. Come on sleeping beauty, your baby siblings are hungry."

Sammi grinned and reached up, patting my belly gently. "Good babbies. We love ye. Now don't kick Momma too hard. We knows it's crowded in there. Momma's doing her bestest ta keep ye safe and happy. *MWAH!* Smoochies!" She blew a giant stage kiss at my belly and grabbed my hand again. I smiled and lead her off to wash up and go get some food. Ma and Pa had mysteriously appeared in the kitchen while Jack and I had been gone, so they helped load Princesses into seats. I dished up tacos for the girls, Mark, Jack, and I, and slid into the seat between Jack and Mark, shimmying slightly as I went. Sammi dug into her food immediately, yelling "TACOS!! Yummo!" much to the amusement of the adults in the room. Dani and Ti dived in with both hands too. Steph just looked at the food for a minute, then started to eat as neatly as she could, looking somehow prim as she did so. I kept my amusement to myself, although I think Jack and Mark saw it and knew what it was about. I gestured for Ma, Pa, Kathryn, Tyler, and Ethan to grab what they wanted and get comfortable. They did and soon everyone was enjoying a laid-back, tasty meal. Sammi and Steph barely made it through the meal before they fell asleep, almost suddenly. Tiana looked equally tired, but was fighting sleep. Dani was still eating, and asked for more food. 

Ma shook her head. "My goodness. Ye are certainly hungry lass. Now, after ye finish up, I think we best be taking ye and yer sisters up ta bed for naps. If ye don't argue, I'll read ye a story Danielle." Dani just shrugged and nodded, going back to her food, eating until she was full. Then she held her hands up to show she was done and Pa walked over, helping clean her up. Jack was gently wiping down Sam's and Steph's faces. I had wiped down Tiana just before she succumbed to sleep, her head drooping down towards her tray. Pa picked Dani up and set her down on the floor, free of the booster seat, then lifted Sammi and Ti up, carrying them both, taking care not to wake them, up the stairs to the bedrooms. Dani followed him, yawning hugely. Ma picked up Steph, placed quick kisses on Jack's, Mark's, and my foreheads, and brought the tail end of the train up, taking Stephanie up to bed, making sure she didn't wake up as she went. 

I smiled at our guests, then looked at Mark, who was yawning and looked pretty wiped out, and Jack, who was smiling at me and watching the babies movements as best he could. I shook my head. "Tyler, do you mind helping Ethan and Kathryn get settled in? I think Mark and I need naps. Jack too maybe, or at least some rest." I put my hand on top of Jack's where it was resting on the babies, with a small smile, just for him. "Ethan, Kathryn, sorry to kind of abandon you like this, but we all need an afternoon rest time lately, between one thing or another. Jack had a pretty severe kidney issue that has been messing with his heart and blood pressure, but he is getting better, and Mark gets tired out pretty fast, because of his ribs, mostly. And I need more rest too, for obvious reasons. Growing eight babies is tough work. Oh, and Jack's new potential editor will be getting here this evening. Felix is dropping him off. His name is Robin Torkar, or Pixlpit, if you've seen his animations and YouTube channel. He'll be staying with us too for a little while."

Ethan's eyes got huge. "F-f-felix? You mean, PewDiePie?"

Jack chuckled. "Yep. He offered ta bring Robin when [y/n] was going ta be busy helping Marzia make a costume for their son, Jacob. They'll stop by sometime later this afternoon, then Felix will run out ta tha airport and get Robin."

I yawned an nodded. Mark saw and grinned at me. "Come on babe. You and I both need naps. You didn't sleep very well last night, did you? You seemed restless from what I could tell, and you look really tired. The world won't fall apart if you come take a nap with me for a couple of hours. Jack, are you coming too? I'm going to need help getting out of the wheelchair."

Jack smiled and nodded, gently kissing both Mark and I before turning to Ethan, Kathryn, and Tyler. "Ye lot know where we'll be. We lock tha door, just because tha girls have been known ta climb inta bed with us and because of Mark's injuries, we can't have that right now. Just knock and call out ta us, if ye need something. Feel free ta explore tha house and the guest house. Ye can use whatever ye want, all we ask is that if ye use tha last of something, ye tell us so we can buy more. Just make yerselves at home. Tyler, if Ethan or Kathryn need anything, can ye please help them find it? I think we're just going ta grill something, out by tha pool, tonight for dinner, unless tha plans change suddenly. And now might be a good time ta take a look at tha contract offers we laid out for ye. Anyway, make yerselves comfortable. We'll see ye in a bit, okay?"

Kathryn nodded and stood up, walking out of the kitchen. Ethan hesitated a minute then came over and gave each of us a fast, friendly hug, taking me by surprise. "You guys are amazing! This is going to be so cool, working with all of you. I know we are mostly being hired to work with Mark, but getting to meet all of you like this is a dream come true. And you're all so nice!"

I chuckled as I slowly stood up, pulling Ethan in for a proper hug. "Come here, Ethan. I'm glad you're excited. Mark wants to start doing more highly edited projects, from what he said, at least some of the time. With more than one editor, he can do that more easily, and without killing the editing team. And I started as an editor and camera person, so rest assured, I'll be helping as much as I can. I think it will do all of us good to have the help, regardless of the TV show and what happens there. If you do sign the contract, you are welcome to stay with us as long as you need, to find an apartment or house, and you'll always be welcome to stop by anytime, just like the rest of our friends. You'll no doubt be seeing lots of other YouTube personalities. We're pretty popular and well known, throw frequent get togethers, and have a very open door policy, so people are always dropping by. Dan is here most days, at least for a little while."

Ethan looked confused. "Dan? Dan who?"

Jack chuckled. "Dan Avidan. From tha Game Grumps."

I blushed. "Sorry. I should have said that. He's a really close friend. Actually, he's more like a brother to me. Oh, we're friends with Arin, Suzy, and the rest of the grumps too. You'll see them a lot, when they come over, if you sign on with us. Actually, all the people on the TV show are friends too, and show up regularly. And my brother and his fiance are here a lot. Eddie is my younger brother and he lives close by and works on the TV show as a sound man. Ray is his fiance. They both like to come see the girls whenever they get the chance, and get some food from me. Everyone comes over for the food and to play with the girls. We watch Felix and Marzia's son and Arin and Suzy's daughter on a fairly regular basis too. And they watch the girls, usually from here, to give us a break or when we need the help." I smiled. "We have some great friends and a fantastic support system, with our families." 

Mark nodded and grabbed my hand. "Yeah, we do. But right now, we need to go have a rest. Ethan, we'll talk more later, okay buddy?"

Ethan nodded. "Sure thing Mark. And thank you, all of you, for bringing me in and welcoming me so much. This really is amazing. Do you mind if I play with the dogs?"

I laughed. "Yeah, go ahead. Steve will probably want to run around outside. Chica's more laid back, so she will probably just want to watch you. Maybe take Steve out for a swim? He loves the water."

Ethan nodded and bounced out the door whistling for the dogs as he went. I sighed and smiled at Tyler, who was waiting to help Mark into the wheelchair. After he shifted Mark over, he gave us a quick salute and left. Jack and I pushed Mark out of the kitchen, through the living room, and into the bedroom. Jack helped Mark out of the chair and into the bed, being extra careful, while I closed the door behind us and turned the lock. I smiled as Jack helped Mark change out of his clothes, stripping down to just his boxers, and lay back in the bed. I came over and kissed both men. Jack growled. "Ye're driving me crazy here love. Ye look so good. Ye even smell good." He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me closer, kissing my neck. "Well, Mrs. McLoughlin- Fischbach, just how sleepy are ye? Can we celebrate getting married now, or do ye need a nap first?"

I grinned and gently pulled Jack's hands off me so I could take my dress off, then my underwear. Both Jack and I were intent on the other and nearly missed Mark's surprised comment. "McLoughlin -Fischbach? Whose idea was that?"

I looked at him, smiling. "Mine, Markimoo. Jack and I are going to file a last name change, legally, when we register the marriage certificate. Then we'll all have the same last name as the girls, if you change your name too. It shouldn't be all that expensive or hard to do, if you want."

Mark grinned. "Thanks for thinking of me babe. I think that's a great idea. " He yawned again and looked exhausted. "You to have some fun right now though. Celebrate getting married and don't worry about including me. Honestly, I'm too tired to do anything but watch the two of you today, but I love watching you both. You're just so incredibly sexy. And knowing you want to take my last name, both of you, just makes me feel..." He paused, sounding choked up. "...so many feelings. I might start crying like a little bitch baby if I think about it too much. So, don't let me stop your fun. I like watching you both and it makes me happy to see you having fun, even if I'm not up to joining in. Maybe, after you finish up, you can snuggle me, if I'm still awake. I really am wiped out though, so don't be offended if I fall asleep on you guys, okay?"

I smiled and bent down to kiss Mark gently. "It's okay baby. I know you're hurting. Did you take your painkillers?" Mark nodded and yawned. "They make you sleepy too. You just lay back and relax. Jack and I will both snuggle you after we finish, if you want. Or I can lay down on your good side and let you wrap me up in your big, strong arm and Jack can lay on my other side. You can both rest hands on the babies and feel them moving around as you drift off to sleep, keeping us warm and safe. Either way, I'll definitely cuddle in as close to you as I can. I love you Mark."

He smiled and rubbed his hand on my belly. "I know you do sweetheart. And I love you. And I love Jack. You make both of us so, so happy. But now, I think it's time for you to go make your marriage official and make your new husband happy. Do you have any plans for this time?"

I looked over at Jack and raised an eyebrow. He grinned and headed for the toy drawer. "I want ta do loads of things. Let's see what we can come up with. Love, ye should definitely gag me, otherwise I'm going ta get loud. I'll lay out tha toys and stuff I want ta have ye use." He looked down, blushing a little. "And, um, I want ta try a few new things, ta see if I like them. I need ta go get a cup with some ice first though." I smiled and nodded, walking over to the drawer of toys and getting out a variety of toys I might want to use as well along with the silk ties, gags for both of us, and a tube of lube. Once I had everything out, I laid down on the bed, next to Mark, naked, and stroked his cheek, cuddling him while we waited for Jack to come back. 

He smiled at me and closed his eyes. His hands both rested on my baby belly, feeling the movement of our children, drawing out an even bigger smile. "Babe, the babies are getting so bug and active. I can't believe how much we can feel them moving lately. Are they hurting you?" He opened his eyes, looking at me, worry all over his face. 

I stroked his cheek and chin some more. "Not really. I mean, I'm uncomfortable a lot, but no actual pain from kicks at this point. Sometimes I ache from how fast everybody is growing, but as long as the babies are safe and happy, I can handle it. Now, please shut your beautiful eyes, relax, and rest, sweetheart. I know helping get the guest house ready pushed your body a little too much, not that you'd tell us. But now everyone is here, or will be soon, and you can just rest." I shifted slightly and rested on hand on Mark's chest, while my other hand kept stroking his cheek and beard. When he closed his eyes, I started humming softly and he fell asleep in a few moments, before Jack even got back. I just kept my hands where they were and soaked up the quiet peaceful atmosphere, letting as much stress as I could go. Mark started gently snoring, making me giggle after a minute, so I very slowly and carefully extricated myself from his arms and made my way to the other side of our enormous bed. 

I tied the ropes onto the bed frame and got myself ready for Jack's return. He was back just as I finished prepping. Jack grinned when he saw the additions to what he had laid out and nodded at me. "Ye had some ideas too, I see. Okay. Let's talk about what we want ta do, before we get lost in tha moment." I nodded and scooted close as Jack sat down on the edge of the bed. "Love, what do ye want ta do?"

I smiled at him. "Sean, baby, I want you to take charge. You tell me what you want. I want to make you feel good." I rested my head on his shoulder as he thought. "Actually, Sean, you tell me what you want first, please, and we can expand the plans from there. You clearly had some ideas in mind." I grinned. "Like the ice. Now, did you remember to lock the door behind you? I really don't want anyone wandering in during our playtime here."

Jack laughed. "Yeah, that'd be a nightmare for everyone. I'm pretty sure I locked it behind me, but ye can go check if ye want." I nodded and stepped over, checking the door lock. It wasn't quite locked all the way, so I secured it and came back to Jack's side. He gave me a quick kiss as I settled in beside him. "Thank ye lass. As for what I want ta try..." Jack blushed again and drew out a long, narrow box, one I had never seen before. When he opened it, I saw a variety of long, slender, glass rods, varying in width and length just a little. "Um, I want ta try sounding. Do ye know what that is, love?"

I blinked. "Uh, I think so? I take one of the rods, lube it up really, really well, and insert it in you. Right?"

Jack nodded, still blushing. "Yeah. It's supposed ta feel really good. I think we better start there, if we do that today. And I'm supposed ta be only half hard." He swallowed. "Which actually isn't a problem right now. I'm nervous about this, but I really want ta try it."

I nodded. "Anything you want Sean." I smiled and took the box of rods. "Do you want me to tie you up, just in case you can't keep still? Oh, and I think no gag, at least at first. I need to know I'm doing this right."

Jack nodded, swallowed again, and moved on the bed. I let him get comfy and was surprised when he reached down and tied his own ankles in place, firmly attaching the ties. Then I smiled and followed him up the bed, tying his wrist carefully and leaning over him just enough to tease him with my swollen breasts. He stared hungrily, trying to reach them with just his mouth, unable to move much because of the ties and the way I was sitting on his chest. He whined, very softly, as I stayed tantalizingly just out of reach. I looked down and grinned. He was already starting to get excited, so I moved fast, shifting off him and suddenly grabbing his dick, carefully. He gasped as my hand gripped him. I grabbed the tube of lube and started slicking him up, concentrating on the head, especially the slit, and the smallest, thinnest of the sounds. One end had a glass bulb, so I assumed it was where I was supposed to grip as I slid the sound into Jack. After he was slicked up to my satisfaction and the rod was practically dripping with lube as well, I lined it up, gently teasing the tip, rounded and metal, into and out of his slit, shallow thrusts and wriggles, just to get him comfortable with the feeling. I was rewarded with a nearly broken whisper of "Love... God that feels so good. I need more. Please..." I looked into his face, my eyelashes lowered and smiled, then nodded. 

"Okay, Sean. You just keep talking to me. Tell me everything you're feeling and what you want me to do to you after. I'm here to make sure you have a really good time, after all. I want today to be special."

Jack swallowed a moan. "It already has been. Oh shit, this is weird. It shouldn't feel this good ta have something pressed inside my dick like this, but ughh... FUUUCK." I slid the sound in further, making Jack writhe under me, his dick fully hard now and leaking around the sound, adding to the lubrication and making a mess. By the time the sound was all the way in, Jack was practically humping my hand, moaning constantly, pulling on the restraints, and losing his grip on reality. I let the sound just rest in him, watching it throb up and down slightly as his body tried to cum around it, pushing it out and gravity pushing it back in every time. He whined and shook his head after a few minutes of panting and air humping. "Love, I need more. P-please. It's not enough. It's so close, inside me, ta hitting tha magic spot. I can feel it, but it's just not long enough, big enough. Maybe if ye filled me up with a toy, too. Just hurry. I'm losing my mind, love. I want ye. Fill me up with toys and ride me. Use a bigger sound and fuck me senseless. I don't care. Just please..."

I nodded and leaned over, kissing Jack, a long, slow, hot kiss as I slid the sound out slowly. I set it aside and reached in the box and found another one, a bit bigger around and a little longer. I took a few seconds to lube it up, still not breaking the kiss. When I felt like it was properly lubed, I started sliding it in, moving back from the kiss. There was a little resistance, but not much. "Sean, baby, is this okay? Does it hurt?"

Jack shook his head. "No. It feels a little odd, but not bad. Actually, oh, it feels good. Really good." He panted heavily, then suddenly went still as I pushed a little more in. "Ughhh. Oh shit. Oh fuck. There. Oh god. Yeeees. So close. More please. Deeper. Harder. Oh f-f-fuuu..." He arched his back and his eyes rolled up in his head as he chased his orgasm and I slid the sound in just a little more. He made a choking sound and suddenly the sound slid back out on it's own as he came, hard. I blinked, surprised by the amount and force of his orgasm. He lay panting, covered in spunk, and babbling incoherently. I waited a minute to make sure he was okay. He relaxed as he returned from his blissed out state. "Holy shit. That was amazing. Ye did a wonderful job, [y/n]. I could go again, or we could do something else, something that might help ye too. I can see from here ye enjoyed that, but I think we can do better. Can ye untie me now? And I think it's time ta break out tha gags and tha ice..."

I nodded and reached up to untie him, being gentle, but he growled and grabbed me as soon as I got one of his hands free, pulling me down onto him, his mouth finding my breast immediately. I mewled out a wordless needy sound, losing all track of what was going on other than the feeling of Jack's mouth, hot, sweet, and needy on my oversensitive breasts, sucking, licking, and tongue-fucking my nipples and all the spots he knew I loved. I squirmed and panted, unable to do anything else. I didn't see him untie his other hand, one handed, or reach over and grab the small bucket of ice. When he suddenly pushed one of the round pieces of ice against my clit and pussy lips, I nearly screamed as I came. Only the fact that Jack had moved his mouth up and drawn me into a kiss kept me quiet as I rode out the first wave of pleasure. Then Jack grinned as he gently pulled back. I panted and bucked, craving more. "Sean, please. I need you, inside me. Now."

He smirked a little and pressed a kiss into my shoulder. "Patience love. I think ye best be gagged up now though. Are ye okay with that?"

I nodded quickly. "Of course. And I think you're right. I might be loud otherwise." I shifted a little, feeling desperate and overheated. My wriggling caused me to brush against Jack, making him moan and bite his lip. He grabbed the gags from the pile of toys and handed me mine. I raised an eyebrow and took it, holding it while I helped Jack adjust his, then handed it back to him to put on me. After we were both gagged so we couldn't get too loud, Jack reached up and grabbed more toys for us both and the lube. He handed that to me and squirmed, shifting so his ass was up in the air and he held his cheeks apart, gesturing with his head for me to open him up. I grinned and complied, stretching him slow and careful. He moaned as I worked him wide open, then when he felt it was enough, he grabbed a large, vibrating dildo, which he turned on and inserted. I helped him as much as I could, moving it just a little so it was in the perfect spot. He drooled around the gag a bit when we found it and bucked against the bed. After a minute though, he looked at me and took the lube, raising an eyebrow. I nodded and he lubed me up as well, opening my ass enough to slide a wireless vibrating egg inside. He grabbed a cockring and slid it on himself, the clit sensitizing gel, massaging a small amount into me, and two nipple teasers, attaching them to himself, with my help. Then he grabbed me close and turned the vibrator in my ass on and bucked into me, overwhelming me with sensations. I cried out into the gag, my eyes rolling back as another orgasm rolled over me just minutes later. Jack kept going, taking me to higher and higher peaks of pleasure, riding me hard, bucking back and forth between me and the dildo he had in his ass, looking blissed out. By my fifth orgasm, I was mindless, completely gone, my body having taken over while my brain was overwhelmed with pleasure. All I could do now was drool and feel. By orgasm number eight, when Jack reached over and grabbed two pieces of ice and held them on my nipples, teasing me even further, I was so overwhelmed I blacked out. 

I came back down and into awareness slowly. Jack was still mindlessly fucking himself on the dildo in his ass, but had clearly seen the state I was in and stopped long enough to move away from me a little and take the toy out of my ass. I whimpered a little, still feeling overwhelmed and hypersensitive. In the state I was in right now, my skin felt raw to the touch, and not in a good way. This had only happened one other time, to me anyway, and I hated it. Jack must have heard the noise I made however, because suddenly his eyes cleared and he went still, looking at me. He started to roll over toward me, only to be caught off guard by an extremely sudden orgasm. He whined the sound I knew meant he was overstimulated too, as he came. I whimpered again as I tried to go help him, managing to get the vibrator out of him and the nipple toys off him, but then collapsing back down into the bed. Jack rolled over to me. "Thank ye love. I should have stopped sooner. For both of us. I'm sorry if ye are sore. I need snuggles now, then we can clean up. Is that okay?" 

I shivered and whimpered. "Need juice. And blankets. Everything hurts, is too much."

Jack blinked, twice, then swore impressively. "Love..." He reached down and grabbed a juice box for me, opening it and handing it over without another word. I shivered and took it, sipping slowly. Jack leaned forward and with extreme care, kissed my forehead. "I didn't mean ta overdo it so much. Are ye okay? I know if it's bad ye can't form proper sentences, so ye are worrying me. I was right on tha edge of bad, when ye helped me, but it sounds like maybe I pushed ye a bit too far." I nodded, looking at the juice box I was holding, unaware of the tears slowly leaking down my cheeks. Jack saw them though and frowned. "Then let's get ye cared for. Cuddles can wait a few minutes. Do ye want ta clean up? A shower might feel good. I'll be really gentle and carry ye in, if ye want."

I nodded again, tucking my head down into my chin and scooting closer to Jack, the need for comforting outweighing the hypersensitivity for the moment. "Please."

Jack kissed my forehead again and very gently held me in his arms. "Anything ye want love. Just tell me. I'll fetch tha fluffy blankets for after we get back out and get a nice nest of pillows ready for ye as well."

I shook my head now. "For us. Need cuddles. And Mark. Please. Then sleep."

Jack nodded, looking sad. "Of course, baby. Just let Jackaboy handle everything for ye." I nodded. Jack started to move away to get things underway, but I clung to him, not letting go. He sighed. "Lass, ye need ta let go for just a few minutes so I can take care of ye. I promise, I won't go out of sight and I'll be back as soon as I can be. Here now, why don't ye cuddle with our big, strong Markimoo while I get everything ready. He can keep ye warm and safe while I'm not here in bed with ye."

I nodded, just once, a quick bob of my head. I didn't know Mark was awake until I felt Jack lift me over into Mark's arms and felt him wrap me up in a gentle, but firm, embrace. I melted into him, curling up into a ball, just slightly. Mark hummed softly and used the hand of his bad arm to stroke my hair, a soothing gesture that made me start to feel better almost immediately. "Hey, babygirl. What's wrong? You're going to be okay. Jack and I have you, and we're not letting you go. Just relax. That's my wonderful, beautiful, sexy lady. Shh." I whimpered again, just softly, and managed to cuddle even closer. I felt more than saw Jack and Mark share a look over my head, wordless communicating what was going on. "Hey now, [y/n], you're okay. Jack didn't mean to overwhelm you, he just got carried away. You know it happens every once in a while, to all of us. I got you now though and he's going to make everything as nice as he can for after you get cleaned up. Then you can come snuggle me and maybe Jack will sing a little until we can both get back to sleep."

I clung to Mark now, just breathing and not moving. He peeked down at me and saw my eyes weren't focused on anything, looking lost in my own head, which he told me after our nap, so he moved his good arm and started running the hand down my back. I managed to pull myself back together a little with a small shudder. "Sorry. It's too much. I'll be okay. Just give me a minute. Sorry to worry you both. And I'm sorry we woke you, Mark. Love you."

Mark chuckled. "Hey, stop apologizing. I woke up when the two of you were, um, busy, and just watched. The two of you are unbelievable sexy, you know. Especially together." He ran a gentle hand over the babies. "And you get sexier everyday, something I never thought possible. I don't know if you've suddenly gotten a million times more gorgeous to the rest of the world, but to me, and Jack too I think, you definitely have. And not just because of being pregnant, babe. Now, here's you're strong, sexy, handsome husband, coming to take you away to get cleaned up."

I blushed and looked down. I felt Jack come over and lift me up, carrying me, bridal style away from the bed. He grinned at me as he went, a sassy expression in his eyes. "I guess this will be tha threshold I carry ye over, love. I still can't believe ye got us an appointment and married me this morning. I love ye more than words can say."

I sighed, smiled a crooked half-smile, and cuddled into Jack's chest a little more, my arms tightening just a smidgen around his neck and shoulders. I didn't say anything, still continuing to slowly come back down from the emotional and physical overstimulation, but I met Jack's eyes and we shared a long look. Just as he was about to set me down on the shower bench, I leaned up and pressed a sweet, slow, tender kiss into him. He sighed and closed his eyes, a look of bliss and joy on his features. When he opened them, he was smiling, hugely. "I love you, Sean. A lot. I can't believe you _wanted_ to marry me. I'm not that special. And now, you have to take care of me because I can't..." I looked down again. 

Jack settled me down on the shower bench and lifted my head with his hand. "Love, no. Ye're doing amazingly well. And ye are one of tha most special people I've ever met. Ye and Mark mean everything ta me, more than I ever knew anyone could. I'm not sure where tha doubts came from so suddenly, but I never wanted anything as much as I've wanted ta marry ye. And ye keep making my life better, more stable, easier. I can't possibly tell ye how special ye are, and not just ta me. Ye have millions of fans who would tell ye same thing, if ye listened ta them. And four little lasses who love ye, worship ye. And Mark. We'd all be lost without ye, in a million and one ways. Now, dry yer eyes. I hate seeing ye cry. Or even just sad." He sat down beside me and hugged me. I hugged him back, tightly, not letting go until my emotions had settled a little. I sniffled a few times, but managed to stem the flow of tears and wiped my eyes with the back of my hand. Jack caught the hand as I started to lower it, pressing a few kisses into my fingertips and palm, just a wordless expression of love for me. It brought a very small smile to my face.

"Thank you Sean." I leaned onto him, resting my head on his shoulder, my face nearly in his neck. "My hormones are really all over the place today. Thanks for putting up with me while I'm so moody."

Jack raised a finger to my lips. "Lass, ye're extremely pregnant, not moody. And even if ye were a moody mess, which I doubt could even happen, ye are worth 'putting up with' as ye called it. Ye are worth helping no matter what." He just held me for a few more seconds then looked at me again. "Love? Can I go see if Mark wants ta join us? I know he was having fun watching us and needs ta clean up too."

I blinked. "Okay. I didn't even notice."

Jack chuckled as he stood up. "Yeah, he had wiped off tha worst of tha mess while ye were out of it, but I think he probably would still appreciate tha shower. Ye just rest here for a minute, I'll be right back. If ye want ta turn tha water on and get tha temperature adjusted for us, ye can, but if ye want ta just close yer eyes and wait, we won't mind that either." I nodded and leaned against the shower wall, draping a towel over my shoulder to keep the cold tiles off my skin for the moment. Jack patted my shoulder and stepped out of the room. I heard faint conversation, but ignored it, simply trying to calm my emotional upheaval and get back on an even emotional ground, calming myself as much as possible while I waited. Jack was back in under three minutes, pushing Mark, naked, in the wheelchair, a towel between him and the material of the chair. I smiled as I opened my eyes and watched Jack help Mark into the shower stall, settling him on the shower bench next to me. As soon as he was settled, I shifted from leaning against the wall to leaning into Mark's side.

Mark grinned at me. "Hey hot stuff. Thanks for letting Jack come get me. I made a mess."

I giggled. "So Jack said. I didn't even know you were awake for any of our performance. And I'm sorry I didn't notice you were messy."

Mark chuckled a little himself. "Yeah. I woke up when I felt you both moving around on the bed, about the time you tied Jack up." He swallowed and shifted, his dick suddenly at attention as he thought about what he had seen us do. "That looked like a lot of fun, and I had never seen anyone getting sounded like that before. I think I want to have one of you try it with me someday." I smiled and nodded, then leaned forward and turned the water on, setting the shower to the rainfall shower setting. Jack, meanwhile, had come over and sat down on Mark's lap and started kissing him, gently stroking Mark's hard length with one hand. I blinked, then grinned as slid away, further down the bench, ending up under the water, where I very carefully, very slowly washed up, even washing my hair. Jack had been right. The shower did help me feel a lot better. I smiled as I listened to Mark and Jack having a good time together. I knew Jack was probably still stretched wide and very probably still lubed up from when he was using the toys a very short time ago, and I knew Mark would be as careful as he could be, so I wasn't too worried about them. I was surprised Jack wanted to go again, since he had been right at the edge of overstimulation. I was still feeling to overwhelmed to join in, but after I got cleaned up, I did turn and watch them playing. Mark was leaned back against the back of the bench, his eyes closed, an expression of pleasure etched into his face. Jack was riding him, bouncing on his member, leaned forward, almost touching the shower floor, his hair flopped into his face, an expression of bliss all over his own face. I hummed appreciatively at the picture they made, startling both of them slightly, making them jump a little and the angle change. Suddenly both of them made a sound and I saw Jack coming, heard Mark's orgasm overwhelm both of them, and managed to just catch Jack as he went boneless, sliding off Mark and nearly hitting his head on the floor of the shower. He would have if I hadn't caught him, in fact. Jack whined slightly and shivered now. 

I looked at him and shook my head. "Sean, sweetie, did you overstimulate yourself now too?"

He swallowed and nodded. "Y-yeah. Hurts."

I sighed. I was starting to feel better now, and knew Jack needed taken care of, so I settled him on the shower bench, under the water. "You wash up. I'll be right back." I pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek and stepped out of the shower, headed into the bedroom, and grabbed a juice box for each of the guys. I handed Jack's to him as soon as I got back. "Here babe, I brought you juice. I need you to stay together long enough to get Mark out of the shower, after I clean him up, then you can snuggle me under our special blankets, okay? I think both of us need that now. And maybe a little nap."

Jack nodded quietly. "I'm okay. 'S not that bad." I raised an eyebrow, but let it go, moving back to Mark. Mark was blissed out, totally gone. I sighed and grabbed the portable shower head, switching the shower mode to turn both shower heads on, and proceeded to clean Mark up, carefully. He was so gone he didn't twitch or respond to anything I was doing until I had nearly finished. Then he moaned and whined a little. I kissed him softly, on the cheek, when he was all cleaned up. He just blinked at me, still not fully recovered. I looked back at Jack, who had washed himself up and was hugging his arms around himself, trying to just hold on until we could go cuddle and I could help him with his aftercare, same as he would be helping me. Jack tried to smile at me when he noticed, but I could tell he was still hurting. "Ready ta go snuggle me, love?" I nodded. He squared his shoulders and came over to Mark, and the two of us guided (and lifted) Mark into the wheelchair, which I then pushed out to the bed. Jack once again helped Mark into bed, then immediately climbed in next to him, curling up in a ball in the nest of pillows and fluffy blankets. I was only half a step behind, and we both just clung to each other, calming ourselves and each other down, soothing overstretched nerves and recovering from too much of a good thing. Jack uncurled into me as soon as he calmed down enough, drawing me closer to him, tucking the blankets ever tighter and scooting both of us closer to Mark, who was slowly drifting back to reality. By the time he got back from his mental vacation, Jack and I were both at the slightly shaky stage. Mark noticed instantly and drew us both closer, hugging us in his arms as best he could, humming in a soothing tone, stroking his good hand down the blanket behind where Jack and I were both pushed together the tightest. It helped us a lot and within ten minutes, all three of us were sound asleep, letting sleep do the heavy lifting of settling Jack and I rest of the way. 

I woke up about an hour and a half later, at about three fifteen. I yawned and stretched, taking care not to bump or wake either Mark or Jack. Jack rolled closer to me as soon as I moved, seeking me out, even in his sleep. It made me smile and I wrapped my arms back around him as soon as I had stretched enough. I leaned in to kiss his cheek, but he opened his eyes and moved, intercepting the kiss at the last second, turning it from a sweet, innocent peck on the cheek to a full kiss on the lips, then he opened his mouth, deepening the kiss. Neither of us made it overly sexual, keeping it tender and romantic rather than passionate and steamy, but it was still wonderful and my heart melted, same as my body, relaxing into Jack and the kiss. We both sighed as we broke the kiss. I leaned into him. "How are you doing now, Sean?"

He grinned at me. "I'm fantastic. Ye're here, all soft, sweet, and warm in my arms, Mark's resting with us, and tha nap was just long enough for me ta recover. How about ye? How are ye and babbies doing now?"

I smiled, playing with a strand of my hair. "We're all okay. I'm back to feeling better too. And I'm certainly more relaxed than I was before we came in here. I love you." I rested a hand on Jack's chest as I said this, Just enjoying the quiet moment. "I know the next couple of days, at least, are going to be nuts, but I'm glad we managed to slip away long enough to have some quiet time now. And I'm glad Mark's here too."

I heard the rumble of Mark's laugh behind me. "Glad you appreciate me too, babe. And I am really happy to see both of you back in better head space. What happened?"

I rolled just enough to see him, ending up almost on my back. "Um. I think Jack got a little carried away in his head space and didn't notice how far I was lost in my own before things went too far for me. I'm not sure what happened to him." I rested a hand on Mark's jaw, cupping his cheek and stroking it gently with my thumb, looking into his eyes. "Are you okay too? You were pretty gone when I washed you up and we brought you back to bed."

Mark nodded, smiling at me. "Yeah, babe. I'm fantastic. Jack just blew my mind. It took me a little while to recover, that's all. Do either of you still need cuddles and aftercare, or did the nap take care of the rest of things for you?"

Jack chuckled. "Well, I'm back ta normal. Sorry I got so carried away earlier. It just felt so amazing, everything ye were doing, and I just turned my brain off, ta live in tha moment. That's how I missed how overstimulated ye got, lass. And I intentionally ignored my own body when we were in tha shower, until it actually hurt. It was stupid, I know."

I rolled back toward Jack. "Sean, no. Don't do this to yourself. It was just a mistake. You were trying to tune out stress, emotional and mental, and things just got a bit out of hand." I sighed. "The day after tomorrow, babe. Then we'll know how to proceed. I've made our case as airtight and strong as I possibly could." I kissed Jack gently now, resting my head on his chest. "I just hope it's enough. But even if it's not, it won't be the end. I have too many other plans in the works. And if it looks like you might have to go back to Ireland for a while, I plan on insisting on a meeting with the person or people in charge of you case, face to face. Believe me, I will bring the world down around their ears if I need to. I'm scarily good at lowering the boom when I need to and I will make it so the whole world watches everything that transpires. I can and will make the entire US government feel the pressure if I need to." I giggled. "They will certainly be a lot easier to handle than some of the hate we got when we announced our relationship online." I looked back up into Jack's worried looking face. "Please, Sean, just stay calm. I have plans upon plans. BUT we might need to tell our friends and family about the marriage today, if certain things happen. If and when I need to rally the international community, our marriage license, which will be public record by the way, might 'leak' to certain news venues. Then a large portion of the world will be up in arms about sending away a man who is supporting four, twenty-one month olds and a wife expecting eight more babies. And I plan to write the copy for what gets leaked very carefully and include the babies genders, which we will know by then as well. Add in the fact that while we are all in this polyamorous relationship together, Mark is as seriously injured as he is, and I doubt very much if the worldwide communities are going to keep quiet." I leaned forward and hugged Jack impulsively. "I got this babe. Besides, you know how much sway we would have, collectively, if we just took a political stand? We could probably sway the vote, on whatever issue we took a stance on, A LOT. And several countries have heard about our situation and offered us full citizenship and to help us find housing if we move there, Ireland and the UK included. They all want the tax revenue we would pay and the tourist draw we would be, even if people don't know exactly where we are." I looked back at Mark now. "In fact, Ireland has offered us free citizenship filing for Mark already, and any of our family members who want to come with us, or friends. I think we should tell them yes for Mark. It was a clean offer, no requirements that we come live in the country, and it would ease the whole situation a lot. Don't forget, I had two really good plans for keeping us together after Thanksgiving too. It all depends on what the lawyers say Friday. But for now, we need to focus on other things." I smiled at Jack again. "Besides, hubby mine, Friday is the day we can hope to find out the genders of our little beans. I can't wait!! Do you guys have any guesses?"

Jack laughed. "Ye always know just how ta pull be back from tha edge, don't ye love?" He smiled happily, still snuggled into me and rubbed a hand over my (naked) baby bump, watching the babies react and squirm to the pressure, light as it was. "I dunno what genders tha babies are. I'd kind of like more daughters, but at tha same time, a son or two would be nice as well. Any baby ye make will be wonderful, I've no doubt."

I giggled and kissed him again, then just cuddled close and we both looked over at Mark, who had a very fond expression on his face and his good hand was just brushing the babies. "Jack's right. Any baby you have will be perfect, but I would like a son." His eyes got a far away look, which I recognized as a dreaming about the babies look, having worn it myself a lot lately. "Just imagine it. A handsome little boy with both your complexions, Jack's hair and eyes, and your nose and ears. God, they would break Twitter and Tumblr in a heartbeat. Especially if they were being held by one of their big sisters. Or a baby boy with my nose and jaw and your eyes and hair, [y/n]. I can practically hear the heads exploding now and the millions of hearts breaking or melting over how adorable they would be."

I laughed. "I know. Both of you make gorgeous babies. The girls are proof enough of that. And a lot of the time I've spent just thinking, not planning or researching, over the past week has been thinking about the babies. I even started a list of potential baby names, for both genders, so we could think and discuss them after we know what we're having. There are a surprising number on my list already, but I know not every name works well together. I know we have plenty of time still, but after all the surprises we had with the girls, I want to at least have some ideas and names prepared by the time Christmas rolls around. I'll be right around twenty four or twenty five weeks by then."

Jack nodded, then looked startled by something. "Love, have ye thought about what that means?"

I blinked, then raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about Jack?"

He chuckled now. "Ye could be giving birth on my birthday again. Or right around then anyway. Well, that will certainly be an exciting twist, just like two years ago was."

I shook my head. "Sean, you goober. I hope the babies will be able to wait a little longer than that. But it's possible they could get here even sooner. I've been reading up on this, a lot, and we were extremely fortunate that the girls made it as far along as they did. Most multiples don't. The estimated time of delivery gets earlier and earlier, the more babies are in the mix. Honestly, these little beans could get here as soon as Thanksgiving and still have a decent chance at survival, at only twenty weeks into the pregnancy, but they will be a lot healthier if I can manage to carry them longer. I think I'm going to talk to Dr. Sara more about when I should switch to strictly wheelchair and bed rest. I don't want to do it, but I need to keep these babies safe inside me as long as I can." Both Jack and Mark nodded and rubbed my abdomen with gentle hands, getting lost in thought. I let them, not saying a word, for a good long while until finally I looked at the clock and sighed. "Guys, we need to get up, get dressed again, and go do stuff. Marzia and Jacob will be here soon. Marzia told me she was planning on getting here around three thirty, and it's already five 'til then. And the two of you should go check on Ethan and Kathryn, just to make sure everything is okay and see if they have any questions about the contracts we laid out." Both men smiled at me, then shared a look and leaned forward, kissing me on either cheek before moving away to get up, or at least get to the edge of the bed in Mark's case. I laid there for a half a second more, then rolled out of bed, following Jack. I grabbed my clothes and started getting dressed, slowly and carefully. Jack came over after he was dressed again and helped me wrangle my dress down over my swollen belly, which as soon as the dress was in place, he wrapped both arms around and simply held me close, caressing my belly and expressing his love. I welcomed the embrace. Jack smiled and murmured something to the babies, just out of what I could hear, kissed my stomach, and then straightened up and kissed me. 

"I love ye, lass. Ye're doing so well, keeping these babies safe and taking care of everything. Now, go sit down in tha living room and wait for Marzia. I think I'll get Tyler ta take over meeting with Ethan and Kathryn so I can help ye wrangle tha kids and make costumes for everybody. If ye don't mind that is."

I smiled brightly. "Whatever you want Jack. I'd love the help. The girls are going to get to chose what they want to be, within reason of course, and as far as I know only Sammi has picked what she wants to be."

Mark laughed. "Of course she has. What did she pick? And I'm surprised Tiana hasn't picked being a princess."

I giggled, highly amused. "She might not have thought of that. Sammi wants to be an astronaut. I've asked all the girls about four times. Sam always answered the same thing." I sighed. "She certainly has opinions. Not that any of the girls don't speak their minds."

Jack laughed. "Well, they are our daughters, love. Not one of tha three of us is shy about expressing ourselves. And what are ye going ta dress up as, hmm? Tha queen? Do ye want any help with yer costume?"

I laughed. "Actually, I was thinking about something that my belly would work well with. Maybe a pumpkin? Or a snow woman?"

I heard Mark laugh. "A sexy snow woman. That would be an awesome costume. You could make a fake bikini to go over the bumps in the snow." 

I looked at him and rolled my eyes. "Riiiight. Hmm. I'll have to think. Actually, maybe I can enlist some assistance from PJ. I have an idea, but I'll need a lot of cardboard and some help assembling it." I grinned picturing the costume idea I had in my head. 

Jack pouted at me slightly. "I think I'm insulted. I offered ta help ye and ye immediately think of one of our friends instead."

I lifted his chin up to look into his eyes. "Jack, you have many talents. Is building strange and wonderful things out of cardboard one of yours? We all know PJ is exceptionally good at that. I just like to call on the person with the right qualifications for the job." I leaned into his side with a small smile and kissed him. "And at the end of the day, you're the one who gets me, if not all to yourself, to share with Mark. No one but the two of you can make that claim. I did chose you, to love, not PJ. And I married you. Now, stop pouting and go help Mark get dressed. The last thing we need is Marzia, Jacob, and Felix showing up with one or more of us naked. I'm going to go sit on the couch and wait, like you asked me to. I can think about what to offer the girls as costume options too. I love you both."

Both men smiled. Jack let me go and headed over to the bed, wordlessly helping Mark into his boxers and pants. As soon as I saw the pants being pulled into place, I opened the door and headed over to our couch, curling up under a blanket as a chill ran through me again. I sighed. I was already sick to death of being constantly cold, feeling unwell, and being big as a house, and these tiny babies needed me to be strong for a lot longer still. Add in the emotional ups and downs, and I was feeling all over the map these days. I knew it was hard for the girls, Mark, and Jack to handle, and even our friends sometimes, when I would have a sudden mood swing that took me by surprise, but everyone was being really patient and giving me constant reassurance. It was nice, but not overly helpful. Sometimes, I just needed someone to tell me to get a grip, not try to cheer me up. I had tried explaining that to Danny, Mark, and Jack, particularly, but they all nodded, swore they would do better, and promptly forgot at the first sign of tears on my face. I stared off into the distance, my mind wandering madly as I sat, waiting for the door. I didn't even notice Mark and Jack come back from the bedroom, or Jack sit down with me. When he hugged me, I jumped a little, making both men laugh. "Somebody forgot about us, Jack. So, babe, what were you thinking about this time?"

I blinked and blushed. "Nothing, actually. My brain was just flitting from one thing to the next. I think the pregnancy brain finally hit."

Jack kissed my cheek and shook his head. "Or ye finally relaxed enough ta let yer mind wander for a few minutes. Ye know, most people don't have ta keep laser focus all tha time. An occasional, undirected daydream is allowed."

I raised an eyebrow. "I'm still going to blame that on pregnancy brain. I've been emotional and distracted all day."

Jack chuckled and leaned close to whisper to me. "Love, ye are pregnant, yes. But we also got married this mornin', even if we are tha only ones who know that, mostly. And ye've been planning and working on things for a load of changes all at once for a while now. Ye might just need a break." He rested his head on my shoulder and looked up into my face. "We could all use a break. We've been overworking, overstressing, and just overstretched for months now."

I smiled and reached a hand up to stroke Jack's cheek. "When aren't we overstretched, Sean? It's been like this ever since I met both of you, in person. And I followed your channels before that, you can't honestly say you weren't overworking before that. I know I was too." I sighed yet again. "But a short break would probably be a good thing, as long as it's not because of health issues. Maybe while I'm on bed rest, I can relax a little."

Mark shook his head. "No, you know that just means your brain is going to speed up. It's exactly what happened when you were stuck in the wheelchair with the girls. Unless we take away all your electronic devices, you aren't going to slow down at all. And we couldn't do that to you. We know how much you need distraction at times. Maybe we should try for a short vacation?"

I swallowed. "Maybe. Maybe we could treat Thanksgiving as that vacation. I mean, it would give us a definite goal to look forward to, and isn't so soon that we can't get a little ahead and ready in time, especially if the two of you have better editing help. Since we've been away from the show so much, I know our editors, well, the editors you two use, have been working on show stuff mostly, as per what is best for the show. Danica's too busy helping me run the department to try to manage any editing. Fortunately, I have talked, extensively with Vicki and even with her boss, several times in the last week. They want to keep me as department head, even if we have to leave the country. They feel like I do a better job, even remotely, than anyone else could here. And Danica was in the conversations and told me she would follow me, as my assistant, if I left the show, as long as she would still be able to. I had already offered her the job, with our company, if she wanted it. As things stand now, I'm going to let the TV show keep paying her, mainly because I need her there right now, but if things change, she's going to jump ship with us. Adam and Gary haven't really said anything about what they want to do, if you leave, and we haven't approached them yet. Any thoughts? Should we make them an offer, to see what they want to do, or just leave it alone for now?"

Both men blinked, taking everything I said in. Jack stayed where he was, leaning into me, but spoke up first. "Love, I think I'd like ta offer Adam tha chance ta stay on my team, if he wants. I know he doesn't like being in charge, so I doubt he will mind tha fact that Robin will be his boss, if Robin decides ta stay with me."

I turned my head just enough to kiss Jack's hair. "I think he will. Robin seemed excited to get the chance to work with all of us and it's not like we're expecting him to move to work with you, just edit the videos and, on occasion, Skype or visit, to go over things in more detail, for bigger projects. And if we need to hire more people, we can."

Jack nodded. Mark watched us, still looking kind of lost in thought. "Babe, I don't know what Gary will say. He might just want to move on. I'd certainly be willing to extend the offer to him though. And we could definitely use the extra help. Maybe we could see what Ethan and Kathryn say, then approach him to join the team after we know more about things?"

I nodded, then the doorbell rang. Sammi came running, top speed, out of the playroom. "Jacob's here! YAH! Jacob!! Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

I laughed. "Calm down, sweet pea. We knew he was coming. He's here with Aunt Marzia, to make a Halloween costume, and help me make costumes for you and your sisters." Sammi stopped squealing and running around in circles, but grinned hugely at me. I smiled and got up to answer the door. Dani came out of the playroom to come say hello, while I was crossing the room. Both Sammi and Dani grabbed my legs as I walked, clinging like vines, but it only slowed me down a little, being used to this. I opened the door, still smiling and let Marzia, Felix, and Jacob in. Jacob squealed with delight upon seeing the girls and me, and tried to escape from Felix's arms at the same time Dani and Sammi squealed again.

Felix laughed. "Geez. It sounds like a convention in here. Jacob, calm down." I laughed a little too, especially at Felix's comment. The noise drew Steph and Tiana out, followed by Ma, Pa, Ethan, and Tyler. I smiled at all of them as Steph and Ti made a bee line for us. Jacob squealed again, struggling hard in Felix's arms now. 

I chuckled. "Hey, only quiet little boys and girls get Halloween costume help. And you might scare the dogs away, if you are too loud." All five kids immediately got quiet, but they were all still jumping around excitedly or trying to struggle free, in Jacob's case. 

Felix blinked at the sudden drop in volume and set Jacob down. "Good job buddy. Now, don't run off too far. Daddy needs to talk to Aunt [y/n], Uncle Jack, and Uncle Mark."

Jacob nodded and immediately grabbed Sammi by one hand and Dani by the other. All three of them started skipping around and dancing to whatever music was in their heads, but at least they were quiet. After about two minutes, they settled down a little and Steph and Ti were added to the mix and all five kids started playing together, running for the playroom. Ma and Pa followed them, shaking their heads. Kathryn came out as soon as the kids got back in there, trailing dogs. Meanwhile, Felix had popped back out to the car and brought back a bag of crafting supplies and some clothes for Jacob's costume that Marzia had packed. Marzia and I had come back over to the couches to sit more comfortably and I had gestured for the other adults to follow us. Tyler helped Mark onto a couch, from the wheelchair, and helped him get comfortable, with his foot and leg propped up, and pillows under his bad arm to help support his shoulder. Ethan sat down on a beanbag chair, looking extremely excited. Tyler took a seat at Mark's side. Jack was still sitting where I had left him on the other couch, and I settled in at his side. And when Kathryn came out of the playroom, she settled in one of the armchairs, sitting close enough to included in the conversation, but at the edge of the group. I smiled as I looked around and made the necessary introductions. "Ethan, Kathryn, this is Marzia. Marzia, this is Kathryn. And this is Ethan. They came out to visit and possibly sign contracts to join Mark, as his head editors, just in case Jack's VISA and immigration case go sideways and we have to move. Actually though, even if things go well, Mark needs the help for YouTube. And we're hiring Tyler too, as Mark's manager, and to assist me in handling appearances and schedules for all three of us." I looked at her for a second and looked down. "We've been overdoing it. We all feel it. So we're setting up a company, to hire some staff to help. Mark wants a whole team of editors, which sounds like a good plan, since he wants to make more involved and challenging videos for YouTube. Felix is going to go get Jack's potential editor, in a few minutes."

Marzia laughed softly. "I know. It's all he's been talking about all day. I think he wants to approve him before the three of you ever meet him. That's why he volunteered to go get Robin from the airport in the first place."

I giggled. "I thought it was because Robin was Swedish as well."

Marzia blinked. "Um, I think that fact may have slipped Felix's mind. Oh, don't tell him. Let Robin surprise him with that later."

I had a wicked glint in my eye as I nodded, secretly amused and knowing Felix might well say something in Swedish about Robin, to his face, assuming he wouldn't understand. I figured if Felix did, he could try to talk his way back out of it. Jack and Mark saw the look and chuckled, knowing what I was thinking apparently. They were still chuckling when Felix came back in with the last of the supplies Marzia had packed up. He looked around, curiously at the new faces and slightly suspiciously at Jack and Mark. They just looked away, refusing to meet his eyes. I sat, watching but not showing anything on my face, until Felix narrowed his eyes at me, looking more suspicious than ever. I just smiled and raised an eyebrow, ignoring the silent undertone. "Fe would you like to meet the two people Mark is thinking about hiring as editors? I'm pretty sure they want to meet you. That's Kathryn. And that is Ethan. He's got his own YouTube channel, CrankGamePlays, but we're hoping he still might have the time to help with Mark's stuff. He seems to think he might as well. Ethan, Kathryn, this is Felix, as I'm sure you know." Kathryn simply nodded and waved a little, not getting up. Ethan however jumped up as fast as he could and bounced on his toes. It reminded me heavily of the greeting the girls and Jacob had shared a few minutes ago and I tried to hide the grin that thought caused, but I think I failed. 

Jack leaned over and pulled me into his lap and whispered in my ear. "Ye're being a brat, love. Ethan's just excited."

I leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, my eyes twinkling with mischief and amusement as I whispered back my answer. "Sorry Sean, I couldn't help the thoughts that were running through my brain. I'll try to behave though, for you, since you asked so nicely." Jack just shook his head and hugged me close, then shifted me so I was laying across his lap and started playing with my baby bump, gently running small patterns over it with his fingers and watching the babies move to follow or roll away. 

Felix laughed, watching us. "You two bros are being ridiculously cute. What does your boyfriend, stuck over there on the other side of the room think about that, hmm?"

Mark laughed now, then grinned at Felix. "That you're right. They are adorable. But I don't mind. We all had a rest a little while ago and I got to snuggle with both of them for a couple of hours. Honestly, I'm happy to see them relaxed and happy. Thanks for asking though Felix, even if I suspect you were trying to cause trouble."

I schooled my face into a neutral expression. "Mark, are you accusing Felix of being less than a good friend? Are you implying he might actually be trying to cause drama?"

Jack completely lost it, laughing so hard I was almost afraid he was going to hurt something. Felix blushed bright as a tomato. Marzia laughed too, but not as loudly as Jack. Everyone else just looked amused. After Jack had recovered he grinned at me. "How tha fook did ye manage ta keep a straight face when ye said that?"

I looked at him, still keeping a deadpan expression. "What do you mean Jack? Are you implying something?"

He chuckled. "Yes. Yes, I am. I always forget how good ye are at keeping a straight face when ye want ta be." He smiled at me again. "This is why we all hate playing poker against ye, lass. Now behave. I love ye."

I smiled back at him. "I love you too."

Felix made a gagging noise. "On that overly sweet note, I'm leaving. Oh, um, hi Ethan, Kathryn. I'll be back later. Are you feeding us tonight, [y/n]? Or should I stop and get some takeout on the way back? How are you feeling today?"

I smiled over at Felix. "I can cook. Or Jack can. He's going to be helping Marzia and I anyway, so we can all just work in the kitchen at the table. We'll pull out an extra booster seat for Jacob and he and the girls can color or draw while we work on the costumes. I think Mark was going to meet with his new editors here, or potential editors, while we were busy. And thanks for going to get Robin for us Fe. I really do appreciate it."

Felix waved a hand and headed for the playroom to say goodbye to Jacob for a little while and tell the girls hello and goodbye. I heard him offer a greeting to Jack's parents as well. Then the toddlers drowned out any further conversation for the moment between them, all clamoring for attention before Felix could escape. Marzia grinned at me. "You trust Jack to cook for us?"

Jack ducked his head, blushing a little. I smiled reassuringly back up at him, but Mark voiced an answer before I could defend Jack. "Yeah. She's been teaching us both to cook ever since we met her, almost. Jack's gotten really good. In fact, he cooked most of the food for Felix's party last week. [Y/n] got a cold the day before, so Jack decided to cook so she didn't have too, with her staying at the table to watch and answer any questions he had. Then she fell asleep while he was working. She decorated the cake later, and we did pull some frozen food out of the freezers, but Jack made a good bit of the party food. And he pretty regularly makes us all breakfast."

Jack's blush brightened, going from a bare dusting of color to a full blush. "Ma-ark! Stop embarrassing me. Ye know I'm not as good as our lovely [y/n]!"

I shifted in Jack's arms and touched a finger to his lips, silencing him for the moment. "Hush. Jack, you've learned a lot in the kitchen and you're a good cook. And it's not a competition babe. We all have things we're good at, and other things we need help with." I shared a look with him for several long moments, reassuring him. Finally, he just smiled at me and leaned forward kissing me again. "That's better." I turned to look at Marzia. "Yes, Marzia. I trust Jack to cook for us. Actually, I trust Mark to cook for us too. Both of them are pretty handy in the kitchen, when they need to be. And mostly they cook different things. Mark grills for us, when Eddie's not here anyway. And he has a short list of dishes he really makes well. Jack has been helping me a little longer, so the list of dishes he can make is a bit more extensive, but both of them are definitely able to feed everybody, easily, for a while. They do a lot for all of us."

Mark smiled at me, sending me a look of love I caught out of the corner of my eye. Jack just hummed a happy sound, blushing a little again. Marzia smiled at both of them. "Okay. Well then, I have no problem with letting Jack cook tonight. And I know you love both of your guys, but I also know you don't gush over them needlessly. You two must deserve the praise, if she's saying that. Good job."

Mark ducked his head and blushed now too. I just shook my head when I saw that. "Mark, sweetheart, calm down. Marzia's right and you know it. I do love you, a lot. But I also don't give praise when someone hasn't earned it. If I say I'm proud, it's because I am. I guess maybe i should be more effusive, but..." I looked away, unable to meet anyone's eyes now. I shivered slightly. "It's hard for me. Because of how I grew up. Mom would tell us she was proud of us and loved us, of course. And her side of the family. Which is why everybody is so close." I stopped again, unable to continue, afraid of veering off into the bad parts of my childhood. Jack gently lifted me up, wrapping me in a tight embrace, wordlessly comforting me. Jack looked extremely sad for me as he just continued to hold me tight. I sniffled, fighting back sudden tears.

Mark's soft voice helped calm me down, almost as much as Jack holding me. "Babe." He sounded extremely sad as he said just that one word. I looked over at him, silent tears sliding down my cheeks. "I hate seeing you cry baby. I wish I could come hug you, comfort you like Jack is doing right now, and kiss at least some of your pain away. Stupid, fucking, broken leg. Jack, can you, please, give her an extra hug and kiss, for me? Thanks man."

Jack nodded and pulled me up a little more, for a kiss, then just went back to holding me close, hugging me tight. I closed my eyes and tried to get a grip, but my emotions were just all over the place. The silent tears continued as I struggled to stay calm. Tiana's voice pulled me out of the mental spiral as she came running out of the playroom to ask a question, saw me crying, and ran over, her question forgotten. "Momma? Is you okay?"

I took a few deep breaths and opened my eyes, forcing myself to stop crying. "Yeah. Momma's just sad. I was thinking about some bad things that happened to me, a long time ago."

Ti came over and hugged me. "Don't be sad, Momma. They's over now. Was tha bad things before you met Daddy and Papa?"

I smiled at her and nodded. "A long time before. It was when I was a lot younger." I stroked a hand down her hair. "Momma had some bad things happen to her when she was a kid. I was thinking about one of them."

"Didn't your Daddy keep you safe? Or Grandma?"

I shivered again. I had always known the girls would someday ask about Dad, but I wasn't really ready to talk about him. Jack felt the shiver and dragged me even closer. "Shh, love I got ye. Ti, baby girl, yer Grandma didn't know about tha bad things happening ta Momma until a lot later. And her Daddy wasn't nice. He hurt her, a lot. That's what some of tha bad things that happened were ta Momma were."

Tiana's eyes got huge and she climbed up on the couch next to us, hugging me fiercely. "He sounds mean. I no like that. Is dat why we never meeted him?"

I looked at her, looking so trustingly back at me. "Yes baby. My daddy is a very bad man. His mommy was bad too, at least to me. They both made Momma feel bad for a very long time and hit me. I don't want my daddy to even know about our family, you little princesses, your daddies, or your baby siblings, because I'm afraid he would try to hurt you, or them, like he use to hurt me. Or he might try to hurt me again." I tried to smile, but I think it was more of a grimace. Tiana patted my baby bump, carefully, looking sad. That brought a real, if somewhat sad, smile to my face. "But like you said, sweetheart, the bad things are over now. I Just get sad and scared and upset when I think about them, which isn't too often."

Tiana nodded. "They make me sad too. You should be happy all tha time. You's a good momma. And our Daddies are good too."

Jack and Mark both smiled at her. Jack never stopped cuddling me close, but he eased me down a little, so I was sitting next to him, and scooped Tiana up into our hug. She smiled and kissed both of us, dramatically, then giggled, squirmed her way down out of Jack's arm, and ran over to Mark. She was extra careful, since he was injured, but she wriggled her way up next to him, kissed him equally loudly, and cuddled into his side, hugging him, then stayed there. Mark smiled down at her and stroked his hand down her back, slowly and carefully. Ti grinned up at him for a minute, then looked back around the room, still hugging into Mark's side. Marzia chuckled beside me. "You know, [y/n], Tiana is right. You are a good mother. And Jack and Mark are good dads. The three of you take care of a massive number of people, happily, and without even thinking about it, both in person, and over the Internet, through social media and YouTube. You are every bit the 'Mom' there too you are in real life. Have the fans caught on to that fact yet?"

I blushed. "I don't know. I don't do that on purpose. It's just that, well, I'm used to handling things that way now." I chuckled softly. "And thanks for not minding my mini-melt down everyone. My hormones are so out of control today..."

Marzia waved a hand. "Hey, I remember being four months along with Jacob. I cried almost everyday, for no reason. You keep it together a lot better than anyone else I know. And you had a reason for the meltdown. I just wish you hadn't had to go through things the way you did. And I'm glad even though you did cry today, you didn't spiral into a full panic attack. You seemed to stay in control pretty well, in fact."

I looked down and started fidgeting in my seat. Jack caught my hands in one of his. "Love, she's right. Ye stayed calm, even though ye were really sad. That's good. And I'm incredibly proud of ye for it. It looks like Mark is too."

I glanced up at Mark, who nodded, and back down after I met Jack's eyes. "It was hard. I knew panicking would be really bad for the babies though, so I focused all my energy and concentration on grounding myself and NOT panicking. Having you both here, close by, and hearing Mark, feeling you holding me, they both helped me stay calm. And Ti helped me come back from the bad memories too. Thank you, all three of you."

Tiana smiled at me. "Momma, it's okay ta be sad sometimes. You can't be happy all tha time. You and Daddy both tew people that, for your videos. It's okay ta cry too. I's just glad we could hewp you feel happier again. You's special."

Mark hugged Tiana a little tighter for a second. "You're absolutely right baby girl. Momma is special. And she deserves all the help we can give her when she'll take it."

Jack nodded and kissed my neck. I took a deep breath, snuggling into him as I tried to clear the last of the sadness and edges of panic from my mind. Breathing in his wonderful smell helped, a lot, and I briefly wondered why I hadn't occurred to me while I was panicking. I buried my face on his shoulder suddenly, surprising a yip out of him, making everyone in the room chuckle or giggle, me and Jack included. I stayed where I was for several long minutes, just collecting my scattered brain and emotions before I sat back up, easing away from Jack, loosening my grip on him and his shirt. He grinned at me. "Better now, love?" I nodded, smiling softly, a truly happy smile. He chuckled again. "Did ye need ta sniff me?"

I laughed. "Yeah, sorry about that. You smell so good and it helps keep me calm. Mark does too, but you were the one over here holding me right now. I forgot while I was on the edge of panicking how much that helps."

Jack shook his head at me and kissed me on the cheek. "It's fine love. Ye know Mark and I don't mind. We want ta help ye however we can. Even if it means being sniffed by our very pregnant love." Jack ran a protective hand over my baby bump, almost without thinking about it. "Ye're always so much more sensitive ta scents too, while yer pregnant. Not that ye don't occasionally sniff us when yer not." I blushed again. "Hey, it's okay. Actually, I think it's sweet. Ye love us so much ye can't keep away. Besides, it helps keep ye calm and gets ye close ta us, so ye know we aren't likely ta complain." I leaned against him and got settled. Once I stopped moving again, Jack smiled brightly and kissed he gently. "Come on love. We have costumes and food ta make. Let's go gather tha girls and Jacob and get started."

I stood up, carefully, and turned around, offering a hand out to Jack to help him up. He grinned and took it, then pulled me into a deep embrace, bending be over backwards and kissing me theatrically. I cling to him, losing my balance, but trusting him not to drop me. Mark and Tiana hooted and laughed. Marzia grinned. Ethan and Kathryn, who had been quietly watching, not really saying anything, both smiled. Tyler shook his head, grinning. After Jack helped me steady again, standing up, I leaned against him. "Easy there, Mr. Feisty. I need to stay in the upright position and that's hard enough without you tipping me over like a pot of tea. I trust you not to drop me, but I know I'm getting heavy."

Jack looked into my face, grinning unrepentantly. "No, love. Ye really aren't. And I'd never let ye fall. Now, tha kids are waiting." He turned to Tiana. "Well, lass, do ye want ta come collect yer sisters and Jake, or do ye want ta say with Papa and cuddle him for a few more minutes?"

Tiana grinned and hugged Mark tighter. "Papa." 

Mark hugged her back and leaned down enough to kiss her hair. "Okay baby girl. You know, you are going to want to go make a costume for trick or treating though. And for the party.But you can stay here with me until later. You can think about what you want to dress up as. I think Sammi wants to be an astronaut. Do you have any ideas yet?" Ti blinked, then her expression turned thoughtful as she shook her head. "Well, think about it, okay? Momma needs to know, so she can try to get it ready in time, around work stuff for Daddy and I, and meeting some new friends." Tiana nodded and screwed her face up, clearly thinking hard. Jack and I shared a look with Mark, amusement at her 'thinking face' mostly, then turned to the room at large. 

Marzia was smiling at us. "Should I head into the kitchen with the stuff I brought?"

I chuckled. "Yes, please. I'll grab the stuff I have if Jack can get the sewing machine for me. And we'll just plan on eating in the dining room instead of the kitchen, for tonight. We have extra booster seats or a high chair in there already, if you want to have Jacob sit in a regular high chair. The girls can either carry their usual booster seats in and use them at the grown up table, or we can set up the kids table we have and all five of them can sit at that, in the kids chairs we have. That might be a little harder though, at least to help them with the meal, but I think we can manage. Eh, we can figure it out closer to meal time." I waved a hand. Marzia nodded and gathered up her bags of materials and clothes, heading for the kitchen. I looked around the room again. "Okay, Ethan, Kathryn, just ask Mark and Tyler if you need anything. Jack and I won't be so busy we can't break away to help, but I think Mark wanted to start going over the contracts with you, and you Tyler, to see what, if anything you wanted changed, from what we thought to offer, and to answer any questions you all had. We're all planning tomorrow to be mostly about making sure everybody is comfortable with things and getting the contracts signed, the paperwork we need filled out and filed, and getting everyone setup and ready to roll as soon as possible. I'll probably be doing most of the training for the editing, at least to start, with Mark watching, so expect to be working pretty closely with both of us. Oh, and Jack will be talking with his new editor too, so I might be in and out a bit, as we need. We do a lot of collaborative videos though, all of us, between one channel and another, but my channel and the family channel are strictly under my control, for the time being. I know Mark has some big ideas for his channel that he wants help implementing, after he's all healed up especially, and they are going to need more editing. I'll let him go over those ideas with you though. But like I said, if you need either of us, Jack and I will be just in the kitchen." I smiled brightly. "And Tiana will be out of your hair shortly, when she sees how fun the costume making, coloring, and activities I have planned in there are. Besides, I know she likes helping Daddy cook and watching him, and she can't do that from the couch in here."

Tiana looked up and clapped her hands. "Momma, you's tha bestest! I wanna color aw tha picures."

I chuckled and winked at Jack. "Well then, into the kitchen you go, cuddle bug. Momma and Daddy will be in as soon as we can get your sisters and Jacob in there too." 

Ti took off at a run for the playroom, poked her head in and yelled. "Hurry up and come with Momma you slowpokes! We gets ta color and make party costumes and watch Daddy cook. And Momma has surprises for us too! Eeeeeeeeeeeee!" then she ran full speed into the kitchen, nearly knocking Marzia over. I shook my head, raised an eyebrow at Jack, and tilted my head toward the office, where I had gathered all the things we needed for the costume making, crayons, a box of assorted toys and bribes, and printed out a small stack of coloring and activity pages. My portable sewing machine was there as well. Jack nodded and grabbed an armload of stuff, making sure to take anything he thought might be heavy for me, and grabbed the sewing machine, hauling everything to the kitchen. 

I walked calmly over to the playroom. Felix was still there, saying goodbye. Jacob was in his lap, cuddling him while playing with Dani and Sammi, trapping him in place. I grinned at him when I noticed. "Hey everybody, who wants to go start making a special outfit for Halloween and decorate a pumpkin? We're going to learn all about pumpkins and Halloween too, while we work, and later tonight, after dinner. And we'll color some special pictures and maybe, just maybe, get a few surprise treats too. Anybody who wants to join us needs to pick up their toys, quick like a bunny, and hop on into the kitchen. Jacob, your mommy is already waiting in there to start. And girls, Daddy is too. I'll be coming too. Hop to it!" All four kids immediately ran around, putting toys away and ran off, headed for the kitchen, a wall of sound and chaos. Felix just sat there for a minute, looking a little shell shocked. I winked at him. "Get trapped by playtime?"

Felix nodded and laughed. "Yep. I didn't mind too much, but I needed help escaping so I can go get Robin from the airport. I still have a little time, I think though. How the hell did you manage to keep the mob under control and get them all so excited and working together? They picked up all the toys too. I'm impressed. And by the way, your daughters are LOUD."

I laughed. "Fe, you've never heard them all at top volume. This was minor. And I can keep a much bigger mob of kids under control." I shook my head. "I used to babysit half the kids in the neighborhood when I was younger, along with my two brothers. Plus, I helped with kids events at the library. You learn tricks for how to handle groups, versus just one or two kids, pretty fast doing those kinds of things, and I have a pretty good natural ability. Now, you should get going. We'll all still be here when you get back, probably in the kitchen still doing Halloween prep. Thanks for doing this part for us."

Felix laughed. "Hey, I got the easy, QUIET part. You have to handle five toddlers, getting them to pick costumes and keep them under control. I have trouble with just one some days. Actually, Marzia and I both do. But you and the guys never complain about the girls being out of control. And I asked Jack's parents," He nodded at them, where they were knitting and reading, having seen the girls were under control and headed for some time with other adults and deciding to take the opportunity to enjoy some quiet time. "but they said you always keep everything well in hand, even when you're sick."

I nodded. "For one thing, Fe, we automatically have a little bit of an advantage in the fact that the girls all have playmates in each other. Usually they like to pair off and do whatever it is they want, together, or if not, they are still willing to play close enough together to talk to each other. And I'm creative, both in punishments and rewards for behavior, and keep a ready supply of activities and ideas for what to do close on hand at all times. Even in the car. And if all else fails, I'm a natural born storyteller and singer. The girls all love to hear me sing, whenever I'm willing and will drop everything when I will, to sit and listen for as long as I can stand it. Plus, they like cuddling with me and the guys. Everyone is so busy, the girls feel like that's a special treat, so they will sit still longer, staying quiet, in hopes that snuggle time will last longer with us. And we don't try to push them to do things. If they really don't want to try an activity, they don't have to, but again, having four of them means if one or even two don't want to try it, they can see what the others are doing, and usually how much fun they are missing and end up trying it anyway. Overall, they are just good little girls though, which makes life easier, even if they can be loud and stubborn at times. But then again, Mark, Jack and I can all be that way too. Especially me."

Felix just chuckled a little. "Yeah, well, I guess that makes sense. But you're right, I should head out. See you in a bit." I nodded as he headed out the door. 

I turned to Ma and Pa with a small smile. They smiled at me briefly before looking back their own activities. I saw they were clearly wrapped up in what they were doing, so I headed back out, grabbing the last of the supplies from the office and heading into the kitchen. When I got there, I smiled a bit bigger. Jacob was in Marzia's arms. All four of our daughters were hugging Jack's legs, talking at the same time, trying to get him to pay attention to only them. Jack looked at me and grinned as I set the things I was carrying down. I clapped my hands, once, loudly, getting everyone's attention. "Hey now. If we want to get everything done, we need to stay calm, quiet, and orderly. Girls, have Daddy help you into your booster seats, please. One at a time. But first, everyone needs to spin this spinner and get a color and number. The number is to decide what order we are going to help you in, and the color is what activity you get to try first. Who can tell me what colors they see here?"

Sammi and Dani raised their hands bouncing in place. Ti and Steph stayed clinging to Jack's legs. Jacob tried to squirm out of Marzia's arms, holding his arms out to me, clearly asking me to hold him. I smiled at him but didn't move. I pointed at Dani. Dani beamed. "I sees boo and yewow."

Sammi crossed her arms. "Uh-uh. Dat one's red. And yellow."

I smiled. "Good job girls. Both of you are right. Sammi you come spin first please. Dani, there is blue and yellow, but this one is red. But it's okay baby. You can spin next. Then how about we let Jacob spin. Steph? Ti? Come on over. You need to spin too." I watched as Sammi spun the wheel and landed on blue and drew the number two from the bag of numbers I had. "Okay Sam. Blue means we are decorating a pumpkin first. Red means prize bin and snack. And yellow means costume help. Daddy is in charge of helping with prizes and snack time. I'll help everybody start the pumpkins, but mostly I'm helping with the costumes. Aunt Marzia is helping with costumes too." We all watched Dani spin the wheel. She got red and the number four. She ran back over to Jack, who picked her up and hugged her. Jacob spun yellow and drew the number three. Tiana was next and spun a blue, got a number five. That left Steph with number one and she grinned hugely as she spun and got red. She ran back to Jack, bouncing with happiness. "Okay everybody has their color and number now. Ti, Sammi, I have the pumpkins for you, and you're going to be decorating them with markers." Both girls clapped and squealed then held out their hands to be lifted into their chairs. I sighed. Jack was busy with Dani and Steph. "Hang on just one minute girls. Here." I handed them a small bag with about a dozen small foam pumpkins in various sizes and shapes, ranging from about the size of a tennis ball, or about two and a half inches tall, to about the size of a bowling ball, nearly twelve inches tall. Some were white, some were bright orange, some had green and yellow spots, and some were pale orange, almost yellow. Some were glittery, or had larger crystal dust, and others were plain. "Pick your pumpkin out please. Everybody only gets one, so pick carefully. Momma will be right back." I slipped out the door, into the living room again. Ethan and Kathryn had moved closer to Mark and were talking quietly to him, asking him a few question. Tyler was picking up some things around the room, helping us by straightening up after the kids all ran through. I smiled at him. "Tyler, can you come help get the girls in booster seats? I really shouldn't be lifting them right now and Jack has his hands full with Dani and Steph, so Tiana and Sam need help into their seats. Thank you." Tyler had nodded immediately and followed me into the kitchen. 

Sam and Ti smiled at him as soon as he stepped through the door and came over, each grabbing one of his hands to try to get him to help them pick the perfect pumpkin. I sighed with relief and sat down. I felt Jacob grab my arm and looked at him. He smiled at me. "Mommy gunna hewp me. Wanna be fireman." 

I smiled back at him. "Oh, good choice buddy. Are you going to have a hat?"

Jacob's grin got bigger as he nodded proudly. Marzia chuckled. "We went to the fire station about a month ago and Jacob got to see everything there. He liked the dog and the pole best, I think. And he got a badge and hat, which he wants to wear as part of the costume. I got his stuff, by the way. We're borrowing a pair of black rubber boots, if you don't mind. You concentrate on figuring out the girls. And the pumpkins are a great side project."

I nodded. "They are foam, so no worries about them rotting or being too heavy for little arms. After Jack gets Steph and Dani settled, maybe it should be snack time for Jacob next."

Marzia nodded and went back to sewing something for Jacobs costume. I looked up. Sam and Ti were settled in their seats now, next to Steph and Dani, who were playing with toys and eating carrot sticks, apple slices, a few cheese cubes, and cheerios. They had their cups with milk as well and Jack was preparing the next plates and cups of snacks. Sammi had a white pumpkin almost perfectly round except for being slightly fatter than it was tall, covered in glitter, nearly six inches tall, and about seven inches across. Ti had picked a pale, almost butter colored, pumpkin about eight inches tall and six inches across, and perfectly smooth with a slightly shiny surface. I handed them both a few markers, washable of course, and let them start decorating. Jacob was sucking his thumb and watching Marzia work, sitting in an extra booster seat next to me. Tyler, seeing everyone in booster seats now, helped Jack for a few minutes, then slid out the door while Jack and I handed out the remaining snacks to Jacob, Sam, and Ti. Sammi and Ti just kept decorating their pumpkins while they ate, the same way Steph and Dani kept playing while they ate. I stepped over to stand in front of the girls. "Okay princess squad, I need to get costumes going for the four of you. Sammigirl, I know you want to be an astronaut. Steph, what do you want to be?"

Stephanie looked at me and tilted her head. "I don't know. What can I be?"

Jack chuckled. "Anything ye want, probably lass. I'm going ta dress up as a pirate, I think. What do ye think of that?"

All four girls giggled. Stephanie looked at me with a smile. "Momma, I want ta be pretty."

I came over to her and stroked a hand down her hair. "You already are baby. All four of you are the most beautiful little girls I know." I paused. "I have a few ideas for costumes, if you three girls who haven't picked yet want to hear them." Three little heads nodded. "Well you could dress up as a fairy, a princess, a witch, a ballerina, a doctor, a teacher, a dog, or a cat. Or you could dress up as an alien, a cowgirl or cowboy, or a lot of other things. What sounds fun?"

Steph looked down, clearly thinking hard, then looked over at Sammi. "I want ta be an astronaut now, but Sammi awready picked that one."

Sammi grinned. "Ye can have that idea, Stephie. I wanna be SepticEye Sam instead!" Jack blinked in surprise while I just chuckled. 

Tiana grinned. "Then I wanna be Tiny Box Tim!"

Dani looked at her sisters. "Steph? Does ye stiw wanna be an astronaut? I cans be an alien with ye, if ye want."

Steph grinned. "Um, maybe. Thanks Dani. Momma, can ye ask me again in a wittle while? I want ta think about it."

"Sure, sunshine. I'll start working on Tiny Box Tim and SepticEyeSam over here. Dani, do you want to wait too?" She nodded. I smiled and grabbed the bag of pumpkins again. "Okay, then you two better pick out your pumpkins to decorate. Remember girls, you only get to pick ONE. Make it count." Both girls nodded and dug through the bag. Eventually, Dani came up with a traditional looking, dark orange pumpkin that just fit in the palms of both her hands, cupped together, about three and a half inches around and maybe three inches tall. It was adorable and sparkled and shimmer with both a shiny skin and crystals on the outside, larger than regular glitter, but equally shiny. She hugged it to her chest and hummed after she picked it, making me smile a little. Steph looked for a long time, finally picking one that was what she wanted, a short (maybe four inches tall), round (about seven inches across), orange and green pumpkin with no shine or sparkle at all. She grinned happily and petted it like a kitten. I held the bag out for Jacob to pick and he quickly found a pumpkin that looked almost exactly like Sam's except it wasn't covered in glitter. The shape and size were almost identical and the color was exactly the same. He showed it to me, Sammi, and Marzia with a grin. Sammi showed him hers and they started giggling as they decorated their pumpkins, calling them 'twinsies'. I looked at Jack and winked. He sighed and rolled his eyes, clearly less amused. 

After everyone was decorating their pumpkins, I stepped over to the fabric and materials we had gathered, sorting through everything and selecting cardboard, brown felt, fabric paints, and some small pieces of a few other colors to make Tim and a big pile of green, blue, and black fabric, a huge, inflatable, beach ball for Sam. I was going to use the beach ball to make the basic shape, take it out and fill the new 'ball' with padding around Sammi, and paint the sparkles on the eye. I was even planning on making the optic nerve, letting it act as a tail behind her when Sammi was walking in it. I made the basic shapes for Tim and Sam in about half an hour and asked Jack, who had started puttering around, fixing some sides and dessert for with dinner while everyone was busy, to come help me and to lift Ti and Sam out of their chairs, one at a time, to be fitted in the costumes. Ti was first. The cardboard, glued triple thick, had been cut and covered in felt, which I then hot glued, and reinforced with a sewn on strip of cloth around all the edges, was exactly the right size for her height, I was glad to see. I had been eyeballing it, completely unmeasured, and had been worried I was making it too big. When it was fitted, Ti clapped as I made mittens out of fabric in white. I cut the eyeholes out so she could see and an opening for the mouth, then carefully, and cleverly, disguised the holes so no one could tell they were there, finishing the look. I grinned when I finished, pausing the story about Halloween I had been telling while I worked. "Hang on one second, baby. You need a black, long sleeved shirt, black pants, and while shoes to finish the look. Let me take that off you and we can go change into that and come try the box back on to show Papa. How's that sound?"

Tiana clapped. "Yeah! But can I finish my pupkin and hear tha rest of tha story first?"

I smiled and nodded, having Jack lift her back into her seat and take Sammi out to try on her costume. It was another perfect fit. I positioned the 'tail' and attached it while Sammi waited patiently. Her face was dead center of the eye, with her looking out of a black mesh for the pupil. She could see and breath perfectly (I had checked, using it on my own face first, then checking with her, more than once). The only down side to this costume was her hands were inside the eye, and her feet stuck out the bottom. I smiled to myself as I added a small, trapdoor chute for each of her arms and a hidden flap that let her hands free, coming out of the iris. She grinned and sang a happy, nonsense song as I worked, then hugged me after we were done. "So Sammi needs to wear green pants and shoes with this costume, I think. What do you think Daddy? Is she all set to be your mascot?

Jack nodded and hugged us both, clearly choked up. He even looked like he had tears in his eyes that he was trying to hold back. I kissed him softly and whispered in his ear that he was a big, ol' softy, but he just kissed me again. "That looks incredible, love. We're going ta have ta post that on my Twitter. And maybe make a video with tha girls dressed in their costumes. Yer Tiny Box Tim looks awesome too. Mark's gonna be blown away." I nodded and cuddled into Jack for a minute, just sharing his happiness and closeness, then looked at Ti. She had just finished decorating her pumpkin and was holding out her hands to be wiped off and be let down from her chair. Jack saw too, and moved to help her. 

I looked back down at Sammi. "Well, Sammigirl, let's take that off for a minute and go get you some green pants and shoes, then you can show Papa and Uncle Ty your outfit too, okay? And maybe Granny and Grampa." Sammi started wriggling out of the costume immediately, and when I helped her, it popped right off. I set it down next to Tiny Box Tim, and grabbed both girls by the hands. "Do either of you need a potty break?" The girls looked at each other then me and nodded. We headed back to the laundry room, where we had plenty of extra clothes that hadn't made the trip upstairs yet and found the pants, socks, and shirt for Tiana and the pants and socks for Sam. Then we went out to the shoe rack we kept by the front door with all the girls shoes in separate cubby holes and found the ones we wanted, slipping their feet in right away. I took their hands again and we headed back to the kitchen and got them both back in their costumes in no time flat. I smiled and guided them to the kitchen door, asking them to wait just a minute. Then I stepped out into the living room and asked Mark to close his eyes for a minute, because two of his daughters had a surprise for him. He grinned and gamely complied and I lead the girls out, helping settle Ti on Mark's lap, carefully, mindful of his injuries and the costume. Sammi sat down next to him and I winked at her. "Okay, Markimoo. Everybody's ready. Open your eyes, sweetheart!"

Mark opened them, and blinked, then his jaw dropped. "Oh my god. This is amazing. And who am I looking at?"

I laughed as Tiana answered. "Paaaapa! It's Sammi and Tiana! Didn't you recognize us?"

Mark grinned now. "No, baby, I didn't. You both look so amazing in those costumes, I couldn't tell which of my beautiful girls I was looking at. Wow. This is just great. I mean it." He looked at me, getting choked up. "Thank you Momma, for doing such a good job. It's like my little biscuit came to life and is cuddling me. Though, to be fair, Tim is a lot smaller than this. That's why he's TINY box Tim."

I chuckled and leaned over, balancing carefully, as I hugged and kissed Mark. "Glad you like them, babe. Maybe Tiana can be Tim's bigger sister, Toddler Box Tiana?" Tiana giggled and Mark grinned. "Now, girls, Granny and Grampa are in the playroom. Can you make it on your own?" They nodded and shimmied down, running off, hand in hand. I smiled and sat down for just a minute to steal another kiss and hug. Mark didn't let me go for a minute, just holding me close, a look of total love in his eyes as he watched me. I smiled at him. "So, did I do Tiny Box Tim justice? Jack seemed to be blown away by Sam. He even thinks we should do a video with the girls in their costumes. And he wants to tweet his followers with pictures." I rested my head on Mark's shoulder, looking into his face.

"That's a great idea too. And you really did do an outstanding job, babe. They look great, and the girls seem thrilled. But I thought Sammi wanted to be an astronaut?"

I chuckled again. "She did until she decided to be SepticEye Sam, then Tiana decided to be Tiny Box Tim. Now Steph is thinking about being an astronaut and Dani might be an alien, which was their idea. But those two still haven't completely made up their minds." I sighed and settled back a little more, relaxing somewhat. "Halfway done. Marzia is making a fireman costume for Jacob. And all of the kids are decorating those hard foam art pumpkins I bought. Jack's starting dinner too. How's it going in here?"

Mark hummed happily, kissing my cheek. "Great. Kathryn and Ethan both agreed to the contracts, with minimal changes, mostly so Ethan can keep working on his channel more easily and so Kathryn doesn't have to be in front of the camera very often. And Tyler liked his contract offer too, but he keeps claiming it's too generous. Actually, all three of them are." He looked around the room. 

I smiled at everyone and shook my head gently. "Guys, we can afford to pay people and pay them well. We're going to work you hard, trust me. It should be fun, mostly, but it's going to be crazy. And things are going to come up, things we can't plan for, that will get thrown at you, and us, without warning. That's why we felt it was only fair to pay you well to start. And we hope you'll feel at home with us, treat us like family. That's really what we want. Ethan, Kathryn, if you need to stay with us for a while, until you find an apartment or house or whatever out here in LA, that's absolutely fine. You are both welcome to stay as long as you want and can stand the chaos. And welcome on board." I closed my eyes and leaned into Mark, turning my face into his side a little and just resting. He ran his hand down my back. After a minute of just breathing in his calming scent and relaxing, I looked up into his face. He looked worried about me. I smiled. "I'm okay, Mark. Just a little tired and stressed thinking about all the stuff going on in the next few days, and even all that's happened today."

Mark smiled and nodded, then kissed the tip of my nose. "I know babe. You're doing a great job keeping ahead of it, but it does seem like a wave of change is just rolling over us. I think Sunday is just going to be a family day and rest day, unless you had other plans already?"

I sighed and nodded. "Vlogging and family videos, at least for a little while. And I need to film a baby bump update, again. And post the result of the ultrasound, hopefully with video. It's going to be a work day for me, on YouTube stuff. But you and Jack should, by all means, take the day off and rest. Spend the day together, or with the girls, just some father - daughter time for the six of you. I won't mind."

Mark shook his head at me. "We'll see. I doubt it though. You need the reminders to rest, and Jack will need help with the girls, more than I can do. For now, just take a minute and recharge your battery."

Ethan laughed a little. "Honestly, how do you manage to get everything done? You have a lot of energy, I can tell, but you're SUPER pregnant. I mean, uh..."

I grinned at him. "I know. Eight babies take up a lot of room and energy. Usually I can run the girls and Jack into the ground and still be so supercharged I get all the work I need done. But right now, I'm lucky if I can keep up with everything."

Mark laughed. "Well, maybe if everything wasn't enough to overwork ten people, you wouldn't be quite so tired. There's a reason everyone who knows us claims you have superpowers you know. Besides being eerily psychic. Remember when you hired three editors at once, trained them all at the same time, and were pregnant with the girls? You just need to slow down a little, sometimes, that's all." Mark finally let me go, just as Ti and Sam came running back out of the playroom, squealing, calling out for me. Mark grinned again. "And that's your cue to get back to the front lines, my dear. Remember, I'm here if you need a short break, for cuddles and to protect you from the mob. Even if the mob is just our kids."

I nodded and groaned as I stood up, then hauled myself back into the fray. I helped Sammi then Ti out of their costumes as Jack loaded them back into the booster seats, and I handed them coloring pages and crayons. Jack I moved the completed pumpkins, costumes, and markers out, setting them back in the office, then stepped back into the kitchen and focusing on Dani and Steph. "So girls, have you decided what costumes you want to wear?"

Stephanie nodded, decisively. "I wanna be Wiford Warfstach. Wike Papa is sometimes. He's funny." I blinked.

Dani piped up her own decision. "I wanna be tha doctor Daddy pretends ta be in his videos sometimes. Dr. Steppewsteem."

Jack looked over at her and grinned. "Dr. Schneeplestein?"

Dani grinned and nodded. I suddenly burst out laughing. "Jack, you're going to have to go as either Chase or Anti now. And Mark's going to have to be one of his 'other' personalities too. Think about it. Ha. I'll have to go as my dark persona I guess too. And we can film something as a YouTube 'family costume'." I went over to Jack's side and kissed him. "And this way I won't have to ask PJ for help."

Jack smiled at me. "I know ye're being a brat, love, but that sounds amazing anyway. I didn't even know tha fans had created a dark version of ye."

I chuckled and whispered to him. "Yeah. Apparently they decided since I look and act so sweet, I must have a really bad dark side. Especially after they saw me play Cards Against Humanity. Oh, and they added a slutty twist to 'her' after they saw the panel at PAX where the fact I forgot my underwear, on stage, came to light. So apparently, my dark persona is an easy lay. Though some of the fan fictions about her seem to indicate she's a bit aggressive and a dominatrix in the bedroom. Actually, my dark version, Anti, and Dark all have some interesting bedroom adventures."

Jack raised an eyebrow and whispered back. "Can I ask what? Or do ye want ta show me, later."

I giggled and nibbled Jack's ear and the skin just under it, on his neck, a very sensitive spot. He stepped closer, his dick leaping to attention, so he pressed into me, trying to hide his problem. "Oooh. Kinky much? You don't even know what the fans were saying I did to the two of you. And by the way, I think Marzia noticed your shift in attention. Do you want to sit down, sweetie? I can sit on your lap, and I promise to sit still, for now, so you can get under control." I continued to nibble his ear as I whispered to him more and I felt his breath hitch a few times. He looked at me and nodded, sitting down in the closest chair to the door and dragging me down into his lap. 

I curled into him, trying to look like this was just normal cuddles, not hiding a boner with my ass, but I could feel him gently grinding on me, unable to resist. Jack kissed my neck. "Thanks love. I like when ye sit with me." I chuckled again, reading the hidden message in his eyes, that he wanted it to be later already so he could find out what the fans thought and we could have some fun again. I winked at him, letting him read my answer, the lust and love blazing through me and I felt his dick twitch in is pants, under my ass. He swallowed and leaned forward to whisper to me again. "Lass... Behave!"

I grinned at him. "Sorry Jack." I turned back to the girls. "So, Dr. Schneeplestein and Wilford Warfstache? I think we can manage those outfits. I have an idea for clothes, so I just need to make a mustache for Stephanie to wear. We already have the masks, gloves, and hat for the good doctor." I reached over to the supplies and started grabbing clothes from the bag of stuff I thought we might want, pulling out plain brown pants and a pale yellow button down long sleeved shirt for Stephanie, adding suspenders, and finding a suit jacket, which I carefully added stripes of red ribbon to, making Wilford's distinctive jacket, and making a small, pink bow tie for her. After I assembled and altered all the clothes, I made a Warfstache out of foam and cardboard. I added it to the pile of stuff for her. Jack leaned forward and wrapped his arms around me. I blinked and looked up. "What's up, Sean? Do you need me to get up now so you can go do something else?"

Jack grinned. "Yeah. Sorry love. I need ta work on dinner now. Ye work fast and got that outfit ready really quick, but I still need ta focus on cooking now. I love ye."

I smiled and nodded, standing up long enough to let Jack up. I knew he had been back under control for a little while, but he had been cuddled in close, holding me, so I hadn't wanted to move until he said something. As soon as Jack stood up, I settled back in my seat and started working on making the Doctor Schneeplestein costume. I had actually anticipated one of the girls might want to dress up as a doctor, so I had the white lab coat and most of the props ready. I customized things, and made a 'One hundred percent real doctor' license to pin to the back of the lab coat. Then I looked at Jack. "Jack, sweetie, when you get a minute, can you get Steph and Dani down, so I can help them try their costumes on and make any adjustments? I think I'm just about done." 

Jack nodded and immediately lifted Dani down, kissing her forehead, setting her at my feet, then reaching over and lifting Stephanie out of her chair, hugging her close for a minute, then setting her down as well. I helped both girls get changed into the costumes. Then when I was satisfied with how things looked, I asked Dani to step closer and put just a little fake blood on the lab coat, as though it had been missed in a washing. Both girls grinned at me. Stephanie kissed me around the warfstache. "Momma let's go show Papa. Pwease?" I nodded and headed back out to introduce the girls the same way I had their sisters. Mark grinned when he saw me coming.

"Hey sexy lady. How are things going in there? Do I get to see an astronaut and her alien friend, as the other girls' outfits?"

I shook my head, sitting down next to Mark again. "Nope. And we're all done now. But the girls want to show you. Close your eyes again, sweetheart. Let's see if you can figure these out. Okay, girls! You're on."

Stephanie and Dani came out of the kitchen giggling and headed for Mark and me. I heard Ethan, Tyler, and Kathryn react before Mark even opened his eyes, gasping, then laughing. Mark opened his eyes and I could tell as soon as he spotted the girls. His whole body went still and his jaw dropped when he saw Stephanie. Then Dani turned around and Mark looked at me, realizing what her costume was. I grinned impishly. The girls both yelled "Tada!" as soon as they were close enough and I started giggling helplessly. Mark looked bemused by my giggle fit.

I leaned over and kissed his cheek. "The girls have been watching too many of Daddy's and Papa's videos. Besides picking these costumes all on their own, that introduction was very much like the intro to a certain someone's first power hour special. I told Jack, you and he are going to have to go as one of your alter egos from your channels too. And I'll have to go as my dark variant." I put a finger to my chin. "Actually you could both go as yourselves in full channel merchandise, exaggerating your usual channel personalities." I giggled again. "I could go as a fan girl in full channel merch too, pretending Sammi and Ti were fan made gifts I made for you."

Mark started laughing. "Oh god. That's hilarious and ridiculous at the same time. And babe, you kind of did make Sammi and Ti."

I giggled again. "Goofball. That's not what I meant." I gently swatted Mark on the good shoulder, then snuggled back in close. He smiled at me. I looked back at the girls, who were showing their outfits off to Tyler, again. "Girls, Granny and Grampa are in the playroom still, I think. Why don't you show them your costumes. And maybe then I can come help you take them off and put them away for Friday. After that, you can either color at the table, with Jacob and your sisters, or play, quietly in the playroom."

The girls took off at a run, dragging Tyler with them. He grinned and winked at Mark and I as he passed, clearly not minding. I sighed and shook my head. Mark rested a hand on my knee. "Good job, babe. All four of those outfits are amazing. What else do you have to do for the kids party?"

I yawned and rested my head on Mark's shoulder, curling up around his good arm a little more. "Decorate and bake some goodies. But that's for later. Right now, I'm going to rest, here with you, for a few minutes."

Mark grinned and I heard Ethan laugh. I looked over at him, feeling sleepy. "Even though you said you were tired before, you finished up those costumes really fast. Those were amazing outfits, by the way."

I smiled. "Just wait a few years. By then, the family will be big enough to have everyone dressed as channel characters, unless the guys do something crazy and add more." I looked at Mark, who was grinning evilly. "Mister, you better not be thinking what I think you are. If you add more characters just so we have more kids, I'm going to kick your ass. And unless you are planning on finding a way to get yourself knocked up, just no."

Ethan and Kathryn laughed as Mark blushed vividly. "Do you have to do that all the time babe? It's bad enough our friends have all seen you read our minds on a regular basis, but do you have to do it in front of my new editors?"

I leaned over and kissed him. "Stop whining. They might as well know now, rather than be surprised later. And if you behaved, they wouldn't have to see it at all. They'll get used to it, I'm sure. Everyone else has."

Mark started to say something, but stopped himself. I gave him a long slow look. "You're right, It's my fault. Mostly." He leaned in and whispered in my ear, "Maybe if you weren't so sexy it wouldn't be such a problem for Jack and I." I gave him another look, one that clearly told him to behave or face the consequences, but was also filled with amusement. Mark just grinned and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me in as close as he could. "I'll be good now, I promise. You can just sit back and relax here with me. Ethan, Kathryn, Tyler, and I were just talking. Mostly getting to know each other. Tyler can chat with Ethan and Kathryn later. Let him take over with the girls for a while, babe."

I shook my head. "Let me at least take the girls out of the costumes and put them away. Nothing I made was all that fragile, but I'd hate to have them accidentally ruin their clothes when they play. Jack's already working on dinner, in earnest now, so he's busy." I yawned again and closed my eyes for a minute. "He cuddled with me for a little while as I worked on the costumes, so it's only fair I come spend time with you now. And after dinner, I've got a plan to keep all the kids entertained until bedtime. Jacob is spending the night, tonight and tomorrow night, by the way. Marzia and I were talking about it and decided while we made costumes. All five kids can sleep in the playroom, in sleeping bags. Marzia and Felix are going to get him to sleep, if they can, and either come talk with everybody or head home. Jacob was coming over tomorrow for a play date anyway, so this will actually be easier on all of us. Then Marzia and Felix will help us wrangle all five of them in to the office daycare while we have our meeting with legal and watch them while we go for my baby doctor appointment, bringing them home after work for the party here. And on Saturday, Marzia and Felix are taking all of them for swim class. In fact, they offered to take the girls home with them on Friday night if we want a quiet evening after the party. Or Marzia did, which amounts to the same thing."

Mark nodded. "Yeah, Felix, Jack, and I let you ladies handle the plans for the families. Hell, Jack and I let you run our channels and pretty much all the rest of our lives. We know you like to take care of everything for us. And a quiet evening, after the madness the party will probably be, and the rest of the day, will be welcome. Friday is going to be hell."

I sighed. "I know, babe. And Jack is so stressed about talking to legal, even with all our plans. And I can't blame him. I just know I've done all I can to make his immigration and VISA case completely bulletproof."

Ethan grinned at me. "What did you do, exactly?"

I looked over at him, serious. "A _**LOT**_. I've made sure the girls and I are all dual citizens, in case he does have to leave, and gotten paperwork ready to start for Mark to get dual citizenship with Ireland. I've made sure that the legal team handling Jack's case know he is the biological father of two of our daughters and is committed to raising all of them. I've made it clear that I will be going with him and will be using all our International sway or celebrity to keep the family together and I will, in no uncertain terms, drag the ENTIRE US government into this if need be. Plus, I'm regularly updating fans, both on my pregnancy with eight babies, our family and Jack's health, blaming the stress of this pending VISA problem for his kidney, heart, and blood pressure issues, and reminding the world that we got engaged in a very public manner. We've been getting a lot of support and offers of places to go if the US government tries to make Jack leave. Plus, I have no problems sending the entire Internet to hunt down whomever needs to get their head out of their ass about this if they try to send him away. I will just calmly, and LOUDLY, point out that sending away a man who has a pregnant fiancee, who is carrying eight babies, and who is supporting her and the other four children they already have, might be a very bad choice. Even places and people that are against everything I stand for have been sending support for us for that. No one wants to see me get mad either."

Ethan raised an eyebrow. Mark shivered and wrapped his bad hand over my baby bump. "No, sweetheart, we don't. You scare the crap out of everybody when you truly get mad." He shivered again, getting quiet. "And you're fierce as a lion all the time, but when you're mad... You get scarily quiet too. It's a lot more frightening to see than someone getting mad and yelling. You freeze the blood of whoever pissed you off so bad."

I looked at him. "Mark, I'm sorry I got that mad at you on Ken's birthday. I know you've been extremely stressed, just like the rest of us, since the beginning of September, but I really couldn't handle it anymore. Honestly, you were lucky all I did was make you spend one night away from home, to let me calm down. But I can't help feeling like that decision is a big part of why you hurt yourself that weekend."

Mark opened his mouth to protest before I could say anything else. "Baby, no. You were right, not me. Jack and I were suffocating you. And having to sit around and do nothing, since I got hurt, I can see it a lot better. We're worried, yeah, but we should have handled everything a lot better. And I should have never dismissed your feelings that way. I just wasn't expecting to have you freeze me like that."

Ethan's other eyebrow shot up. "Jeez. Mark, you're making it sound like she could freeze the blood of anyone with just a look."

Mark nodded and hugged me again. I looked at the floor. "Kind of. I get scary quiet and very cold when I'm really, truly angry. I yell when I'm not as mad, but still angry, like most people. You pretty much don't have to worry if I'm being loud. It's when I get quiet you really have to worry. I either go white hot angry and am practically incandescent with rage, or so cold my skin seems to smoke like dry ice. And while I may be very slow to get angry, once I am, I stay that way for a while." I looked down at the floor, mentally trying to sort through an abundance of feelings, pain and sorrow being the two at the forefront of my mind and strongest at the moment. 

Mark moved his good hand up to cup my chin and lift my head, to look me in the eyes. "Baby, please. I feel like you're beating yourself up. Or is this about your history with abuse?"

I shivered and my voice broke as I answered him. "A li-ittle of b-both." Mark just pulled me in as close as we could get and wrapped both arms around me as best he could. I started to cry, softly at first, but it was starting to get harder to breathe.

Ethan came over and sat down next to me, resting a hand on my back. "Hey, are you okay? I mean, it kind of seems like, from what you said earlier, your dad was abusive and and that totally sucks. Is there anything I can do, right now, to help?"

Mark kept patting my back, just letting me cry for the moment as he spoke quietly to Ethan. "Actually, can you go tell Jack I need him for a minute. His mom can come take care of the food while he helps me get [y/n] calmed back down. Her hormones are all over the place, because of the babies, from what she said this morning. Just tell Jack it's like the day at his parents house when we were walking in the woods. Thanks man."

"No problem, Mark. Feel better, [y/n]. I'll be right back."

I was sobbing now, great racking sobs. Mark started humming softly, trying to distract me from whatever my mind had wandered to, but I was spiraling into anxiety pretty hard. I curled ever closer to Mark, almost laying in his lap now. He just continued to stroke my back and hair, humming quietly. Jack joined us a minute later, out of breath, from having run out to see what he could do to help. Jack picked me up and settled me in his lap, leaning against Mark, so I could curl into both of them. "Love, ye need ta breathe. Take a deep breath now, there ye go. Slow and steady." I took a few deep breaths following his directions without thinking. Jack smiled as I breathed. "Good job lass. We got ye, just relax. Breathe in Mark's smell and mine, if it will help ye. Ye said earlier it helped, right? Just focus on my voice, and Mark's, our touch, the smell of what's around ye. Ye're doing so good."

I stopped crying after a few minutes, calming down again, but didn't move from between the guys. I could feel both of them watching me, and their concern. After a few more calming, steadying breaths, I looked up at the two of them, lifting my head out of Mark's chest and shoulder, but not moving otherwise. "Sorry. I just kind of spiraled there. Sean, thanks for coming to help. If you need to go back to the food, I'm going to be okay now. I just..." I swallowed. "My hormones are a lot today. And we've all be so stressed, I think I'm just getting emotionally rubbed raw."

Both men nodded and Jack leaned forward and kissed my cheek, then snuggled in closer to Mark, leaning on him. "Ma took over dinner. Actually, it had started ta rain a bit ago, while ye were working on tha costumes stuff, so I decided not ta grill anything and just made some garlic chicken. I already put it in tha oven, so Ma just has ta watch for when it's done. I already made tha salad and started tha seasoned rice ta go with it. So I can stay here with ye two." He smiled at us. "I'd rather be here anyway."

I rested my head back against Jack now, smiling softly. Mark hugged us both one handed, then moved his arm to rest it on the babies, who were kicking gently. "Thank you for cooking Jack. And thanks for coming to help me get our sweet girl back calm again. Babe, it's always scary to see you spin out like that. It wasn't as bad as the time in Ireland, last time you were pregnant, but it was bad enough. Just stay here with us for a while and relax, okay? Jack's parents, Tyler, and Marzia can take care of the kids for fifteen minutes or so, so you can calm down all the way." 

I swallowed and nodded. "Okay." I snuggled in a little closer and shivered as I felt a chill. Jack wordlessly grabbed the blankets off the arm of the couch and wrapped them around me. I smiled at him. "Thanks sweetie."

Jack grinned. "Love, just close yer eyes and relax. We got ye." I nodded again and winced as the babies kicked out, harder than usual. Jack felt the kick and saw the wince. "Are tha babies hurting ye, love? Let Mark and I sing ta ye, and them, and see if we can calm them down." He looked at Mark, who nodded. They both started gently rubbing my belly, a soothing pattern that helped calm the babies down. I sighed and closed my eyes as the guys both leaned as close as they could and gently started humming, then singing. The babies stopped kicking and calmed down, helping me ground myself. I smiled a little and mentally drifted, letting my thoughts wander freely. I didn't mean to fall asleep, but I did, and woke up to a gentle kiss from Mark, sometime later. Jack was no where to be seen.

I blinked in confusion. Mark just smiled at me. "Come on babe. Dinner's ready. I need my lap back now. Tyler has to help me get into the wheelchair."

I looked around, rubbing my eyes, still not really awake. "Wha? Oh, sorry Mark. Gimme a minute." I yawned and stretched. "God, I need to sleep for more than an hour or two at a time, soon. I swear that's all I can manage lately before life, or these babies, kicks back into high gear."

Mark frowned at me. "Babe? How long haven't you been able to sleep?"

I blushed and looked down. "Um... About a week or so. Every time I lay down flat, the babies start kicking in short order, ever since just before my cold. I'll be fine, sweetheart. I didn't mean to complain."

Mark gave me a look. "And you didn't think to tell Jack or I? Come on babe. You know better than that. We want to know when somethings off with you. There might be a simple fix for this. But for now, I really do need to get up, and so do you. By the way, Robin is here, unloading his stuff and getting settled in. He and Felix got here about five minutes ago. Ethan and Kathryn went to go help him get settled in and decided to change clothes for dinner. Apparently, Chica drooled all over Kathryn and Ethan did go swimming with Steve and his swim trunks, which he never changed out of, were still clammy and making him uncomfortable."

I gently scooted off Mark's lap, letting Tyler help him up. Then I settled back in the seat and closed my eyes again, still feeling tired, hoping to wake up. Instead, I fell back asleep, only to be awakened by arms coming around me, lifting me up. It was Jack. "Lass, ye need ta wake up and come eat some dinner. Ye can sleep soon, I promise. And mark told me ye haven't been sleeping well lately, so I'm going ta make ye go back ta bed early. For now, let's get ye out ta tha table."

I nodded and yawned. "S-sorry. I meant to get up and come to the table right after Mark left, but I just fell right back asleep. I'm so tired."

Jack smiled gently as he carried me into the kitchen, like a princess. "I know, love. And ye are always going a million miles an hour. Resting as much as ye can doesn't make up for sleep though, so Sunday, or Monday at tha latest, ye are going ta sleep in. Now, come meet Robin, please."

Jack settled me in a seat, next to Mark, who instantly moved closer. Then Jack sat down on my other side, basically pinning me in place by sitting on the blankets I was still wrapped in. I freed a hand and reached out to shake Robin's hand after everyone else was seated. "Hi Robin. Sorry for not being awake when you got here. Sleep kind of just ambushed me a little while ago. Apparently, my nap wasn't long enough to keep up with all the energy demands these eight little beans are making on me." I rubbed my belly as soon as Robin and I released hands. 

He smiled at me. "It was fine. Jack got up to help me find a room, carry my bags in, and get settled. I can't believe you sent PewDiePie out as your uber driver for me though."

I raised an eyebrow at Felix. "Is that what he told you? Hmm. Then I guess we'd be his babysitters, chefs, therapists, and entertainers most of the time. Oh, and wardrobe specialists." Felix blushed and ducked his head. 

Robin laughed. "Oh, I like you."

I smiled at him. "Good. We all like you too, from what we could tell online. Jack and I are looking forward to working with you. Mark will have his own editing team, which I think you've already met." He nodded. "Well tonight, after dinner, you can look over the contract we drew up for you and see if you have any questions. Jack, Mark, and I are probably going to be busy, at least for a little while, settling the kids after we bake some Halloween treats. We can meet tomorrow to go over things, make any changes, and hopefully, sign and file the contract. Then we can settle in and work on getting some editing started and discuss projects and plans. Same for Mark's team." I looked down at the plate of food in front of me, not remembering who put it there. "Um, thank you whoever got me food."

Ma laughed. "Lass, Jack put it there before he sat down. Ye really weren't awake yet when ye came in, were ye?"

I blushed and shook my head. "Nope. Honestly, I'm still kind of out of it. Maybe my brain is just muzzy from lack of sleep and being pregnant though. I have a major case of pregnancy brain today though."

Jack shook his head at me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "Ye're overworked and overstressed. And overtired. Tell ye what, after dinner, I'll make tha treats with tha kids and ye can go back out ta tha couch and stretch out and get comfy. The girls and Jacob can come cuddle with ye after they finish or instead of baking with me and either listen ta Mark read a story or watch a video. Does that sound like fun?" Jack turned to the toddlers as he finished outlining his plan. They all grinned, nodded, and clapped. "Good. Now, everybody needs ta eat their food." 

I picked up my fork and started to eat, going slow to help prevent heartburn. Jack kept his arm around me all through dinner, gently rubbing my shoulder with his hand. I could feel his worry, and Mark's, about me and the babies, but I didn't address it, instead focusing on the conversation around the table. Everyone was having a good time, which made me very happy. Felix was teasing Jack, a little, about not really being the one who cooked, seeming to find the fact that Jack had prepped the meal and started cooking it unbelievable. Marzia told Felix she had watched him do it, and maybe Felix should get some cooking lessons from Jack, now that she saw how good he was. Jack blushed at the praise and half tried to hide behind me. I gently kissed him and rested my hand on his cheek for a minute then, making him smile. When Felix made a comment under his breath in Swedish, Robin started laughing, startling Felix. Robin looked at him and launched into Swedish himself, then explained, with a smile, to the rest of us what Felix said, then Robin's answer. Apparently, Felix was muttering darkly about over energetic, green haired maniacs. I giggled. "Fe, I'm the one who taught Jack most of the cooking he knows. If you really want to learn form someone with too much energy, I can teach you. Maybe not until next year though. I mean, I have enough on my plate as it is, with the babies coming, training our new team, and wedding planning, Jack's VISA, getting all of us dual citizenship, and the billion things I have to do between now and, oh, lets say next June. And I have the feeling, despite the insane amounts of energy Jack and I have, we're going to be pretty damn exhausted for a few months after these little rock stars make their debut." I rubbed my tummy without thinking abut it. "I just hope everyone is healthy and manages to stay in here as long as they can. I know the babies could all survive, theoretically, as long as they are born after the twentieth week, but the goal most experts say is at least twenty seven weeks for multiples of more than five. Thirty would be great." I looked at my belly again. "I'll be enormous, and that would put me having the babies right around Sean and the girls birthdays, or maybe Valentine's Day."

Mark looked surprised. "Babe? Why didn't you mention that before? That's so soon!"

Dani piped up. "We might gets our sibings for a birthday present? Yah!!" She clapped her hands, quickly followed by Steph and Tiana. 

Sammi just grinned hugely. "I wants two brothers and six sistas!"

I blinked at her. "We'll see what the genders of your baby siblings are when I go to the doctor on Friday, we hope, Sammi. And then Momma wants to film a video telling you girls what the babies are going to be. Does that sound like fun?"

All four girls nodded and clapped again. Jacob looked sad. "Me no gets new babies. No fair. And me no in videos." He sighed.

I looked at Felix and Marzia with a grin and a sassy expression. They both blushed. "Jacob, sweetie, maybe you can share the babies with our girls. Your daddy and mommy just want to enjoy having you all to themselves, so they don't want to share you in videos, that's all. And they don't have as many people helping them as Uncle Jack, Uncle Mark, and I do. Babies are a lot of work."

Jacob nodded and still looked a little sad, but he wasn't pouting, so we let him be. He cheered up after a few minutes, especially when Sammi told him he could play with her after dinner or they could cuddle with me together. "Cuddwes! Me wike cuddwes. And your momma is the goodest cuddwer I knows. You's wucky Sammi."

I tried to hide a grin as Marzia and Felix shared a look. Jack chuckled softly next to me and I winked at him. "That's after everybody finished eating kids. Now, I see green beans and salad on somebodies plate. If you don't eat your veggies, you can't grow up big and strong like your mommy and daddy, Jacob. And look, Sammi, Dani, Tiana, and Stephanie all finished theirs already. Good job girls. You can have a cupcake after dinner. Jacob, if you eat you veggies and your mommy and daddy say yes, you can have one too, but you have to eat all the veggies you've got there, got it?"

Sammi looked at him and grinned. "Yeah, ye gotta eat tha green beans so ye can grow up big and strong wike me!"

Jacob blushed and nodded, digging into the green beans first, then eating his salad. Felix looked amazed. Marzia looked amused. Then Jacob looked up. "Aww gone! Mommy, pwease can I has a cupcake too?"

Marzia smiled and nodded. "One cupcake. And then you have to do what Aunt [Y/N] says. Or Uncle Jack and Uncle Mark. We're letting you send the night here, like a big boy, all by yourself. Mommy and daddy are going home after dinner, but if you need us, just ask a grown up to call for us. We can come back and get you if you need."

Jacob was bouncing in his seat now, he was so excited. The girls were all clapping and bouncing too. I chuckled, especially at what Jacob said next. "I won't need you Mommy. I's a big boy. I wove you and daddy, but I's excited. Wait. Where's we aw going to sweep?" He stopped bouncing, and looked at our daughters. "I wanna sweep in Sammi's room. She's my bestest friend." 

Sammi grinned and looked at me, hopefully. "Actually, all five of you are going to camp out in the playroom. I have sleeping bags, pillows, and blankets for you to use in there. but you have to promise to go to sleep when I say lights out, or no more sleepovers and no waffles in the morning."

Jacob's eyes got huge as he nodded. The grown ups all finished eating as we listened to kids planning all the fun things they wanted to do before bed. After everyone was done, Jack stood up to clear the table, but Tyler beat him to it, so Jack just grinned and got out the cupcakes I had made, Halloween themed chocolate cakes with bright orange pumpkins, spooky white ghosts, and eerie green eyeballs on grey frosting, made to look like a gravestone. Each of the kids picked one and the rest were left on the table for the adults to grab at will. I declined and sat back, watching everyone relaxing together and just chatting happily. I was still tired, so at the first opportunity I announced I was going to go lay down on the couch in five minutes and would be available for cuddles. Mark smiled at me. "I'm going to stretch out on the other couch for a little while, so if any little monkeys want to snuggle me, I'll be available too, as long as they are extra special careful. If Uncle Tyler will help me, that is." Tyler nodded and stood up, taking Mark out immediately. 

I looked over at the girls and Jacob. "Anyone want to snuggle me? Or are you all going to help Daddy make Halloween cookies for our party on Friday?"

Tiana and Stephanie instantly looked at each other then Jack. "We want ta help Daddy!" Ti answered for both of them.

Dani looked undecided. "Um, I think I'm gonna ask Papa for a story. Is that okay, Momma?"

I nodded and looked at Sammi and Jacob. "I wants ta snuggle ye Momma! And we can feel tha babies moving and try ta get them ta go ta sleep too. She clapped."

Jacob nodded. "Me too. I wants to stay with Sammi. She can be my girwfriend. If she says yes." He looked at her, hopefully. She nodded. Then he grinned and leaned over to hug Sammi, surprising her, making her blush and grin, then give him a kiss on the cheek. I heard Felix groan and Jack mutter something under his breath, but Marzia and I exchanged amused looks. It looked like Sammi and Jacob had a little crush on each other. 

"Okay. Does anyone need help cleaning up their hands and faces after their cupcakes? I can help somebody." I rest a hand on Jack's shoulder as I watched all five kids nod. I helped Sammi first, then Dani, as Jack helped Stephanie clean up, then got her down. He lifted Sammi and Dani down after that. Ma helped Tiana clean up and lifted her out of the chair as Marzia wiped Jacob's hands and face clean and hugged him close. As soon as Sammi was down, I grabbed her hand and headed for the living room. Mark was stretched out on the far couch, looking comfortable, waiting for company. I smiled at him and got myself all arranged, under blankets, on the other couch. Sammi handed me pillows and got herself comfortable, cuddling in close to me, under my belly, and started rubbing patterns on my tummy, making the babies slow their wriggling. Jacob and Marzia came out a minute later. Jacob climbed up next to Sammi and cuddled both of us and watched the babies. A minute later, Dani came running through, then came back with a stack of books and asked Mark to read to her. He smiled and nodded, helping her get settled against his side. Soon all that could be heard was the sounds of the story Mark was reading and gentle sleep sounds from Sammi, Jacob, and, soon after, me from the living room. Mark told me later, after we got ourselves back to bed, that I only managed to stay awake long enough for the kids to fall asleep, but that we all looked super sweet. Jack told me at the same time the cookies were all done except for decoration, and Marzia and Felix had been impressed by how easy it had been to get all the kids to go to sleep that night. The editors and Tyler had all gone over to the guest house to play some card games and Ma and Pa had gone out for an evening on the town when they saw Jack had things well in hand in the kitchen and Mark was reading to Dani and the rest of us were sleeping. I smiled when I heard and got myself ready for bed, feeling exhausted, but happy. I cuddled in next to Mark and waited for Jack. As he climbed into bed, I smiled. "Goodnight guys. I love my boyfriend and my husband very, very much. Sleep well." And with that, I settled back on the pillows, falling asleep to the sounds of both men softly humming happily and rubbing my belly, soothing the babies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to end the chapter here, this is just getting too ridiculously long.. The story is hijacking itself again! I had a completely different plan for this chapter. It was supposed to be a quick glossing over the new editors getting here, then be about the Friday I described above. I guess that's getting pushed by at least one chapter. 
> 
> Oh, and I nearly crapped myself when I saw Mark google himself and saw all the fan fictions on AO3, especially when the Mark X lists showed up -- much the same way I reacted when Ethan saw AO3 come up on his video from the other day. But I panicked a lot more at Mark video, just because I write more for him. I haven't started tagging Ethan much yet. Also, the video made me curious about something, so I did a little checking -- the first part of this series -- On The Other Side Of The Camera -- is the third rated Mark X Reader X Jack story on the site. Wow. Some of my other stories are also in the top twenty of the Mark X Reader or Jack X Reader rankings too, and so is that one again. That just blows my mind. 
> 
> Jack's about to hit 16 million subscribers, so let's all party for that! (Mark's getting pretty close to 18 million as well, but it's a little further away. Hopefully I'll have the next chapter up by then.) To celebrate, here's a 35,000+ word chapter!
> 
> And I have updates coming for my other stories, soon. I had a family wedding, IV therapy, Physical therapy, and some other stuff come up, meaning I have barely been on my computer or the Internet in nearly two weeks. I'm also fighting off a migraine, so please ignore any mistakes (or tell me about them to fix them). 
> 
> Oh -- One final, final thought. I just got a professional quality microphone and am considering recording some of my fictions and maybe some singing and uploading that to YouTube. Would anyone want to hear it? No video/ camera, just my voice (and possibly someone else I drag on to speak as well, if I end up reading more than just my own fan fics). I still haven't decided yet, but I want to throw the idea out there to see what people have to say.
> 
>  ---
> 
> *Sigh* I just thought of something else too -- would anyone want to see stories that are an alternate timeline of this series? Aka -- Reader ISN'T polyamorous and has to make a choice? Or reader chooses Dan? Or even the relationship is Mark, Jack, Dan, and the reader? Let me know. I have some interesting side plots I could explore, plus things would definitely be a bit different in those alternate realities/timelines. I'm not sure why my brain suddenly decided to dream those ideas up, but whatever.
> 
> On more thing, I swear it's the last one. Everybody go watch Jack's playthrough of A Normal Lost Phone. Both parts. It's an important game, with sensitive topics. And it was handled really well. Jack opened the door for a lot of open, honest, judgement free discussion on LGBTQA+ topics and I feel like, especially in this community, it's a highly needed and welcome dialog to have. I rarely comment on YouTube stuff, on the site, but I made several posts or replies to people. And, ironically enough, I reblogged an old post of mine about a similar topic I talked about a little with n update. Feel free to check that out too.
> 
> And that really was my final note. XD


	27. Meetings with Team Iplier and Robin *

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Today is all about getting to know the new editing team and Robin. It's going to be a busy day...

Jack, Mark, and I decided to stick to the plan for Thursday. Most of the day was going to be spent in meeting with Robin, Ethan, Kathryn, and Tyler, at least for Mark and Jack. I would take care of helping Jack's parents watch the kids, cook the meals, unless we decided to get takeout, take the kids to the park for the playdate we had planned, and get things ready for the kids party on Friday evening. I had the alarm set for eight, as usual, but wasn't surprise to hear the kids up before that, squealing and playing in the playroom, which was close enough to our bedroom to hear everything going on in there. I sighed as I woke up, and looked at the clock. Seven fifteen. Not as bad as I had feared, but still earlier than I would have preferred. I tried to roll over, to get to the edge of the bed, to move at all really, but the combination of my baby bump, which was making me feel huge and awkward, and the guys wrapping themselves around me, holding me close as they slept, meant I was stuck where I was for the moment. I smiled and reached my hands up and ruffled the hair of both men, one with either hand, very lightly, so they wouldn't wake up until they had to. Neither one stirred from sleep, but both of them smiled faintly as they slept, making me smile a little more. I knew soon enough one or the other of them would wake up, hearing the girls and Jacob. A sudden crash from the playroom a few minutes later brought both of them awake like a shot, Jack sitting up before he even opened his eyes, dragging me halfway up with him. Mark's eyes shot open but he didn't move, fortunately for his ribs. The giggles and squeals continued, unabated, from the other room, so I knew no one was hurt. I smiled and shook my head as Jack and Mark tried to figure out what had happened, what was going on. Jack noticed for the first time how he was holding me and blinked. "Love? Are ye okay? Do ye want me ta help ye sit up or let ye lay back down and rest some more? And what was that noise?" 

I laughed. "Sean, sweetie, calm down. The girls and Jacob are awake. I have been listening to them for a little while now and I think the chaos and destruction is what you heard that woke the two of you. I wouldn't mind sitting up though. I kind of have to pee, you know, because I have a lot of pressure on my bladder. And I'm fine." I pressed a kiss into his shoulder as he helped me sit up. "Thank you, Jack." He smiled at me and rested a hand on the babies for a few seconds. I leaned into his side. "How's my handsome husband this morning, hmm? Happy? Tired? Nervous? Excited?"

Jack chuckled. "Confused. I'm still trying ta get my brain ta wake up. And very, very happy. I love ye so much, and being married ta ye is tha very first thing I want ta remember every day. And with ye and Mark here with me..." He smiled, bright as the sunshine, looking amazingly handsome, his bedhead and sleepy eyes making him sexy as hell. I snuggled closer and reached over, pulling him into a kiss. He enthusiastically returned it, making me melt, capturing the moan that tried to escape in his mouth. When he pulled back a little, to breathe, I just clung to him, resting my head on his shoulder as I tried to regain my mental composure. I heard Mark sigh behind us. Jack turned to him. "Mornin' sexy. Let me help our lovely lady ta tha bathroom, then I'll come give ye a wake up kiss too. We weren't trying ta leave ye out."

I looked back at him too, still smiling. He smiled at us and nodded. "It wasn't really a complaint, I was just relieved to see both of you looking less stressed out and so happy. Honest. But you know I'm never going to say no to snuggles, kisses, or hugs, from either of you. But help [y/n] out first, please Jack. I'm fine here."

I chuckled and deepened my voice. "Yeah, you are sweetheart. You're fine everywhere."

Mark blushed and grinned at me. Jack laughed and nodded agreement. "She's right. Ye are. And we love ye, both of us."

Mark just kept grinning. "I'm suddenly glad the two of you are over there. [Y/N], you're feisty this morning and I'm afraid you'd try to grab me or something if I was any closer. Jack, save me!"

I grinned wickedly. "Oh babe. It's so sweet you think being on that side of the bed makes any difference. Ha. If I want to, I can make your brain melt from a lot farther away. And Jack's putty in my hands, so I doubt he can save you. All have to do is this." I reached up and nibbled a spot on Jack's neck and his eyes rolled back as he squirmed and wriggled closer, panting and going mindless for a few seconds. I stayed there for a minute, enjoying his reaction, feeling him get more excited with every gentle movement of my lips, teeth, and tongue on his skin. When I finally pulled away, he whimpered and whined a little, pulling me into his lap and grinding on me. I looked back at Mark, smirking. Mark was staring at us, his eyes blown wide with lust, his boner visible from where we were sitting. He was panting too. "I know how to make both my boys feel amazing. Now, we have things to do today." Mark and Jack both whimpered. I looked at them and grinned again. "Someone all worked up?" Both men nodded at me. "Hmm, too bad the kids are so close and would hear anything we did." That seemed to clear both men's lust fueled states away a bit.

Jack, still holding me, growled in my ear. "Lass, ye're torturing us. Why?"

I chuckled. "The two of you have been driving me crazy lately, between how good you look all the time and my hormones really kicking in. I mean, I've been so constantly fighting off the need to just fuck the two of you senseless constantly, you wouldn't believe it. So I thought I'd share."

Mark whined again. "Not fair. We can't help your hormones, babe. I mean, yeah, we accidentally got you pregnant, again, but..." He stopped. "Okay, I see your point now. But we're trying to help with that, as much as we can."

I laughed. "I know. And I know I can't lock the two of you up in a room with me all day, every day for the next few months. But sometimes, I just have these urges that I can't act on, so you get to share my 'pain' now and then. I will make sure we get some alone time later though, to make it up to both of you. And I can go get breakfast started for the kids. I have the feeling one of the other adults will be up soon enough and once all five kids are eating, they can watch them long enough for me to come back, shower with the two of you, and get dressed. We can play in the shower, if you want guys."

Jack sighed and let me go. "Ye're right. Ye just got us both excited and worked up, now. We don't wanna wait!"

I kissed him gently on the cheek. "Sean, I really don't want the kids to overhear us. I promise, I'll make it up to you later. When I have I ever not, after I promised? Now, stop whining and help me get up please. The babies are starting to kick and one of them is right on my bladder. There might be a little problem in a minute if I don't get to the toilet really soon." Jack sighed and stood up, helping me scoot the rest of the way off the bed, balance as I stood up, and then walking with me to the bathroom, making sure I could get back up from the toilet. I had gotten so big in the last week or so, I was having trouble getting up, even from the toilet, and once I had been stranded in the bathroom for close to an hour because I couldn't get up and no one was around. I did my business and as he helped me up from the toilet, Jack took me into his arms, catching me by surprise. I smiled at him and hugged him back, of course. He hummed a happy noise and rubbed my ever-expanding belly, then kissed me gently after I washed my hands. I leaned on him for a few seconds. "I love you, Sean. Thanks for being so strong and just wonderful the past few months. I know you've been stressed out a lot, and hopefully, after tomorrow, at least a little of the stress will be resolved, even if we have to make plans to get you back to Ireland for a little while, or get the whole family over there indefinitely. We can sit down, once we know how things are shaping up, and make some decisions. And start the Internet pressure campaign if we need to."

Jack nodded and leaned against me, still holding me close, taking care not to cause me to overbalance. "Love, I wish I could do more for ye. Ye're tha strong one here. Ye've got just as much, or more stress on ye as I do, or Mark does, and ye go out of yer way ta make sure we are taken care of first. We love ye ta bits, but ye need ta take it a bit easy now. Tha babies are really starting ta get big, and they are putting ye under a load of physical strain. We're both worried about ye. I think we probably ought ta get ye a wheelchair for ye ta be using more now too. I know ye hate tha very idea of that, but ye need ta stay safe and strong for tha babies."

I kissed Jack on the cheek. "I know that too sweetie. Remember? I was going to ask Dr. Sara about moving when I needed to be on bed rest to see if she thinks I should be resting more sooner than Christmas. I know it's going to mean more work for you and our friends, but I really want to have everybody be safe for as long as I can manage. And I think another wheelchair would be smart. I don't have the heart issues this time around to contend with, so I can get myself in and out of it, for now at least, but my balance is awful lately and it hurts to walk around right now. I know how much bigger I'm going to get too, and I'm worried about falling already." I lifted a hand and stroked Jack's cheek gently. "I mean it, I really want everybody safe and happy. That means you, Mark, the girls, these beans, and me too. If using a wheelchair, as much as I will, and do, hate the idea of it, will help with that, I'll do it."

Jack smiled into my face, gazing into my eyes. We both got a little caught up in what we were seeing and feeling and lost in the moment until we heard a noise in the other room that made both of us grin. Mark was calling us. "Yo, Jack? [Y/N]? Did you forget about your dear, old, bed-bound boyfriend, or are the two of you so busy getting your freak on that you can't hear me?"

I smirked at Jack and popped my head around the bathroom door frame. "Markimoo, we didn't forget about you. We'll be there in a minute. I was just talking to Jack about getting a wheelchair for me soon too. These babies of yours and his are getting heavy. I don't want to fall and hurt anyone or myself."

Mark's eyes went soft. "Babe. I never even thought about that." I nodded briefly then turned back to Jack and kissed him one more time before I grabbed my bathrobe to throw over my pajamas. Once I had wriggled into it, leaving it open and untied (because, let's be honest, there was just no way with as big as I was now that it had enough material to cover me properly) and slid my feet into the bunny slippers Jack had gotten me for a surprise present last Christmas. Thus dressed to battle the chill I felt all the time from the babies and changing season, I walked over to the bed and sat down, kissing Mark. He smiled at me. "How are you doing, really babe? I mean, I know what you're telling us, but I want to know the truth now."

I sighed and looked down. "I hurt most of the time, especially my back, stomach, legs, and feet, and I can barely keep my balance. I'm stressed about keeping the family safe and together. I feel about a million weeks pregnant and I'm just barely at four months. Oh, and I have incredibly bad heartburn most of the time. But complaining doesn't do any good."

Mark shook his head. "Sweetheart, it might help us know how we can help you more, that's all. We know you aren't a complainer, so if you need us to do things for you, like massage your feet and legs, we can. Hell, I can do that, even with my ribs and bad arm. You just need to tell me and get comfy in a way I can reach." He smiled at me a little. "And I am getting better. Yes, my ribs are still a problem, but my arm hasn't been painful in a while, and neither has my leg. I think it's almost time to get the casts off too, right?" He looked at me hopefully.

I made a non-committal noise. "The doctors want you to come in to get them checked next week. That will have been seven weeks, after all, but don't get your hopes up, baby. You know they said your leg will probably need longer than that in the cast. And you still need to go easy on your ribs, so no lifting anything heavier than ten pounds. I'll be watching you."

Mark grinned. "Of course you will. You always are. I just want to get the itchy casts off as soon as possible. And I am listening to the doctors. Besides, I'd rather walk around, under my own power so Jack can focus on pushing you in a wheelchair, instead of me."

"Well, okay then. It would be nice if we don't have to buy a second wheelchair, but if the doctors even hint you need to stay in one longer, we are getting a second one for me." I gave Mark another gentle kiss and maneuvered myself off the bed. I groaned as I stood up, my back aching already. Jack was by my side before I even got fully standing, looking nervous and worried about me. I smiled at him. "Sorry for the noisy escape from the bed. Just hard to get standing up today. Now, I'm off to make breakfast for the girls and Jacob. What do you guys want this morning?"

Jack shook his head at me and pointed back at the bed. "Ye're going nowhere. Sit down, or better yet, lay down with Mark. I'll go get breakfast underway. Then we can come back and get that shower. Ye and Mark are getting pampered today, as much as I can manage, around meeting with Robin, and taking care of tha household."

I sighed and looked longingly at the bed, then shook my head. "No, Jack. I have things to do today of my own. Besides, I need to meet with Robin and Ethan and Kathryn myself today too. I know what you guys need for editing and have some ideas and plans of my own. Besides, I promised the kids I would take them out for a playdate at the park. I should be able to manage it." Mark reached out and grabbed my hand, pulling me back onto the bed. I groaned again. "Maaaaark. It's hard enough to get out of bed without you pulling me back down onto it."

Mark grinned. "Jack's right baby. Let me give you a foot and leg rub while he makes breakfast. Then we can negotiate the rest of the plans for the day. Personally, I think we ought to just meet with all three editors, and Tyler, at the same time, in a conference type meeting and figure things out that way. It's not like Jack and I don't collaborate a lot and have a good bit of spillover between the channels. That way too, everybody starts on the same page. And if we have the meeting in the office, over here, all of us can sit at the table and talk. It will be easier for everybody involved. And I think the kids might enjoy the pool more than the park, especially with all three of us there, which we could manage if we stay here." He pulled himself up into a sitting position with a grunt and came over to me, pulling me into him. I smiled and snuggled close, enjoying the fact he was feeling more back to normal this morning and not in a lot of pain. I was still careful of his ribs and injuries, of course, but having him draw me in was a nice change from how things had been lately. He kissed me softly on the shoulder as we got comfortable. "That's better. You just stay here in my arms for a few minutes and relax. The world won't come crashing down around us if you don't do everything yourself."

I shook my head. "I know that Mark. I've been taking it easy and letting other people do a lot lately. I just need to make sure things stay on schedule, that's all. If Jack's going to insist on making breakfast, I'll let him. In fact, I was just going to see if the kids wanted cereal, fruit, and yogurt this morning, but whatever you want to make will be great, sweetie. Mark and I will wait here for you." I looked at Mark again and rested my head on his good shoulder. "It feels like ages since you just held me in your arms like this. I missed it more than I realized. And you really don't need to give me a foot or leg massage. Just holding me like this is nice. And being off my feet helps the aches go away."

Mark frowned a little and nodded. "If you insist. I still might give you a back rub though. I know your back gets sore, even without the extra pain from the babies. You've been taking really good care of everybody all the time. Now it's your turn to get taken care of. No, don't argue with me." He pressed a gentle finger to my lips when I opened my mouth to say something. He smiled again when I immediately closed my mouth. "Good girl. Now, just lean into me and let me make you feel better." I nodded as he reached forward and gently started massaging the small of my back, drawing out a small whimper from me when he found a large and tender knot. I hissed as he worked it with his thumb, slowly undoing the painful bunching of muscle and nerves. I closed my eyes and let him work, so I missed Jack leave to go round the toddlers up and start feeding them. Mark worked on my back for about ten minutes before I heard Jack come back in. Mark and I both looked up at him. 

He grinned. "Ma and Pa have breakfast well underway. Ma was already in tha kitchen, cooking, when I got in there and she shooed me out as soon as I helped load all the booster seats. Jacob is very happy ta be here, by tha way. And he and Sammi are holding hands again." Jack frowned slightly, his forehead wrinkling. "I'm still not sure I like our daughter claiming she's in love with a boy at this age, but..."

I laughed. "Sean, you'd hate it, no matter how old she is. You're kind of protective of the girls, which I understand. But honestly it's sweet. And it's just puppy love. You and Felix were both pretty amusing when Jacob and Sammi declared they were boyfriend and girlfriend last night though. The two of you both seemed overly upset by it. What's the matter, sweetie? Afraid the shippers will realize it's SepticPie the next generation? Or do they call you Jelix?"

Jack groaned and wiped a hand down his face. "God. Ye would bring that inta tha conversation. No, I hadn't thought of that. Shit. I wonder how many pictures of that are going ta be all over Tumblr when tha kids are older, if they are still this close?"

I laughed. "They are already there. I get them all the time. They usually tag them as #babyJelix, #babysepticpie or #babypewdieplier. I've seen both. But usually it's Stephanie or Tiana kissing Jacob, so I think it's just people drawing toddlers kissing each other on the cheeks and huging because they think it's cute, not anything more serious. I'm sure someday one of these babies are going to be shipped with Ken and Mary's baby too. That's what happens when you have kids close in age to your friends and people you have been shipped with in the past. I'm just lucky the only people I've been shipped with, mostly, are the two of you, before we announced we were together. I have seen the odd postings here and there of me with, say, Felix, Ken, and Danny, but not all that often. The fans all know I read quite a bit of the fan fictions and see the art too, but honestly, they like seeing the three of us together and happy, so they don't try to push me with other people. And they aren't rude about it at all. The only real issues I occasionally see are people who want Septiplier to be the only relationship you two have. But the communities as a whole make sure those people don't get too rude, pushy, or go too far. All of us are lucky. The fans love us, our relationship, the girls, and are respectful of us, each other, and our wishes."

Jack nodded, sitting down with us. "Yeah, love, they are great. But don't sell yerself, or us, short. We make it pretty clear what we will and won't tolerate too. And ye are insanely active with interacting with tha communities. More even than me, especially when ye are restricted on yer movements." He smiled and rubbed my belly, watching the babies move around. "Thank ye for that. Especially for not trying ta be as physically active with these little ones on tha way. Ye really do worry Mark and I, ye know, when ye overdo it. Thank god we aren't having ta move, or trying ta do another multiple-month-long trip ta see everyone now. It would definitely be bad for ye."

I sighed and nodded, wincing a little as a small foot or hand smacked my ribs for the second time in a few minutes. The babies were starting to get really active, which meant it was time to go get some food before they hurt me. I shifted slightly, trying unsuccessfully to scoot around on the bed, but just ended up falling flat on my back. Mark and Jack just grinned at me and shared a look. Suddenly, Jack scooped me up in his arms and moved me to the top center of the bed, settling me in the middle of a pillow pile. Mark climbed up next to me, making the pile into more of a nest, and snuggling in with me. I blinked, confused as Jack disappeared from the room suddenly. I turned to Mark, a question on my lips, my eyebrow quirked. "We're going to have breakfast in bed, the three of us. Jack wanted me to get you more comfortable and keep you here until he gets back. I could see it in that look. We can all eat, then take that shower you mentioned, and get things going for the day afterwards. Don't argue baby. We're taking control of things for the day."

I sighed again and nodded. "Fine. As long as everything gets done. Now, since you guys think you're in charge, what am I supposed to do now?"

Mark grinned at me. "Nothing but lay there, look gorgeous, and grow those babies. Oh, and maybe snuggle your hot boyfriend while you wait for your husband to come back with the food."

I smiled and moved closer to him. "Thanks Mark. I feel like a blimp, so hearing you call me gorgeous makes me feel better. I know you and Jack both love me, and think I look good, even like this, but I can't help feeling like Jabba the Hutt or something. And I'm so, so grateful you aren't jealous that Jack and I got married. You're wonderful, amazing, and so supportive. I'm not sure what I did to deserve you in my life, if I even do, but I'll never stop be grateful to have you, as long as you're here. Same goes for Jack." I was a little misty eyed as I finished this thought.

Mark just pulled me into him a little more and kissed me. "Baby, you are a sexy angel, I swear, not a blimp or Jabba the Hutt. And you mean more to me than anything else in the world, except maybe the girls and Jack, but even that's debatable. I'm not going anywhere. All I want in this world is to see you happy and safe. And you do so much good for other people, there's not really a question as to why you deserve good things." He kissed me again as tears rolled slowly down my cheeks. "Hey, don't be sad, lovely lady. You get the best of both worlds. You married a sexy beast of a man and have a boyfriend besides. And both of us know and approve. Lots of women, and men for that matter, would love to have this arrangement."

I looked into Mark's eyes. "That's not why I'm crying and you know it. My hormones are just out of whack, again. And I have two very sexy men in my life, thank you very much. Jack would tell you just how sexy you are if you have any doubts and don't believe me. Or we could ask our communities. Sometimes I feel like an ugly duckling next to the two of you, all tall and ungainly and just not as sexy or beautiful as the two of you. I know I shouldn't feel that way, but I do. It's worse now that I'm pregnant again too. At least the pregnancy was between convention seasons. That would have been a lot harder for me. Or if either of you had to host an event and we all were supposed to go. It's hard to feel attractive when you are the size of a car."

Mark lifted my chin and held my gaze. "Hey, come on baby. You aren't that big, especially considering there's a whole basketball team in there. And even if you were the size of the moon, you would still be the sexiest, smartest, sweetest woman I've ever laid eyes on. I think it's a shame we can't show you off like this at an event we're hosting, or something. You're a miracle, lover, not an ugly anything. And remember, that ugly duckling you referred to was really a swan in disguise." He smiled brightly, then chuckled. "And you are definitely swan-like most of the time. You're big, protective, graceful, gorgeous, and can be scary as hell. And you're surprisingly strong. Definitely don't want to get on the bad side of either of you. Yep, you're very swan-like."

I gave Mark a look, somewhat exasperated. "You couldn't have stopped at graceful, could you? You had to add the bit about being scary. Mark, I really don't try to be scary, even when I'm mad, most of the time. Now, just snuggle me some more.. Truly, I missed having your arms around me or you drawing me in close." 

Mark nodded and pressed a gentle kiss into my neck. "Of course, sweetheart. And I've missed being able to help you and hold you too. I wish I could help Jack more with all that."

I nodded, then rested my head on Mark's chest. I winced a little as one of the babies moved again, smacking my ribs yet again. Mark looked at me and raised an eyebrow. I looked up into his eyes and smiled gently. "Markimoo, I'm okay, I swear. One of the babies is just smacking the hell out of my ribs this morning. It's a bit uncomfortable. They should calm down after I get some food though." Mark nodded and reached his hand down resting it on my belly, rubbing a soothing pattern. The babies followed the movement, shifting under his hand. Mark grinned. I just sighed. "Thanks babe. I swear, these little beans are a lot more active then their sisters were at this age."

Mark chuckled. "I don't know about that, baby. Steph and Sammi were pretty active. Maybe Jack fathered more of these babies than I did. That could be why they are so hyper."

I smiled. "Maybe. Though, Tiana and Danielle definitely weren't all that calm either. They just kicked harder when they did kick. We aren't going to know for a bit which of you fathered these little beans, so let's not worry too much about it. I do want to know more about the babies as soon as I can though. I'm excited to see the pictures tomorrow, hear their little heartbeats again, and just know more about them. They are getting so big, so fast..."

Mark just smiled and kissed my shoulder. "I know sweetheart. You're doing a fantastic job keeping them safe and growing up healthy. Now, today you need to just let Jack and I take care of you. You deserve a bit of pampering."

Jack, who had just come back into the bedroom with a tray holding all three of our breakfasts, smiled and nodded as he set the try down on the dresser by the bed. "Mark's right love, ye're just going ta have ta let us take care of ye today. Ye need a break. Honestly, I'd rather ye take about a week off from anything and let us take care of ye, but I know that's not going ta happen, so even one day will help. Ye just rest, relax, and cuddle today."

I sighed and shook my head a little. "Guys, I'd love to have the day off from everything, but I have too much shit to get done. How about this, I promise to let the two of you take care of me as much as you can and still let me get the things I absolutely have to do done. We'll have a group meeting with Robin, Kathryn, Ethan, and Tyler. Jack, you can prep the food for the Halloween party for the kids tomorrow night, while Mark and I sit and watch, or help at the table. We can all watch the kids together, on their outing later. And Sunday, after a little film, I'll just take the whole day off. You two can pamper me properly then. Or Monday, if you want. I won't even fight it then."

Both men sighed. Mark pulled me a little closer to him and kissed my cheek. "Fine. But you are still getting all the pampering we can manage for the next few days, at least. Really, Jack and I would probably love to just take care of you and pamper you like a princess until these babies get her, but we know that would drive you crazy. Now, just lean back against me a little more. Jack's going to hand us our food, and I want you to snuggle me while we eat. I've got myself pretty well propped up here." I smiled and scooted in closer after Mark got himself arranged in the pillow nest and Jack handed the two of us our food before climbing in and joining us, snuggling in close to both of us. I kissed him softly as soon as he was settled in, earning a smile, and we all started eating. I finished first, eating as much as I could safely stomach and not be sick, which was still a relatively small amount. Mark noticed first. "Babe? Did you get enough breakfast there? You didn't eat much. You gotta keep your strength up, you know."

I nodded. "I do know, Mark. But if I eat more than I just did, I'll just throw it right back up. Eight babies take up a lot of room, and they are crowding my stomach an awful lot lately. I just need to eat more small meals during the day, I guess. I'm okay though sweetheart. I'm just trying to make sure I don't overdo things. Anything, including eating."

Mark smiled and nodded. "Good." Then he scooted down the bed so he was next to my belly, then rested a hand on the babies, talking directly to them. "Hey, all you little rock stars in Momma's tummy, go easy on her, okay? She's doing her best, but it's going to be crowded for a while longer. Your daddy, Momma, and I are all trying to make sure you have the best possible start in life by keeping you as safe and happy as we can, so be patient. No one needs to try to escape early, hurt each other, or hurt Momma, are we clear?" The babies rolled around, following Mark's gentle rubbing and voice. He grinned hugely up at my face. 

I reached a hand forward and stroked his cheek. "Thanks sweetheart. I doubt they understand, but you did get them to move a little farther down so my stomach isn't quite so cramped. Good job. I love you." Mark just grinned then kissed my baby bump and went back to his breakfast, focusing half his attention on his food and the rest on watching the babies move, rubbing his bad hand slowly along by bump in soothing patterns. 

I was smiling as I watched, even as I shifted slightly and snuggled into Jack's side more. Jack just cuddled me closer while he ate, then took both our plates and set them aside, hugging me tight and rubbing his hand on the opposite side of my tummy from Mark. After Mark finished eating, Jack took his plate and set it with the others, then turned to the two of us with a smile. "Okay. Let's get tha day started properly then. Mark? Do ye want me ta help ye ta tha shower first, or do ye want ta wait while I carry [y/n] in and help her get ready for us?"

Mark looked up at me, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Babe? Will you promise to stay here and wait if I let Jack take me in first? I can get on the shower bench and get the water started for us, so everything is ready when you join us, if you stay here. But really, I want you to wait in bed and let Jack help you, so if you want to have him take you in first, I can wait."

I smiled back at him and nodded. "Yes, I promise not to move. Actually, take your time guys. This position is fairly comfortable for me and my feet and legs really are achy today. I think I'm just going to sit as much as I can all day. The kids can come to me, wherever I am, if they need things after the morning meetings. Same thing with Robin, Ethan, and Kathryn. I'll probably settle in the living room, on one of our couches, and just rest."

Jack immediately smiled and leaned over, kissing me softly. "Good ta hear ye talking sensibly this morning, love. I doubt anyone will mind and it will make it easier on everybody if Mark and I can focus on other things, knowing ye are resting. I bet ye can get everybody down for naps with a story or two this afternoon, if ye want some quiet kid-free time too, if ye snuggle with them while ye read. Ye seem ta be tha only one ta be able ta convince our wild girls that they need ta sleep anytime except at night." His smile turned teasing as he sat back. "If only ye had someone with that power over ye."

I raised my eyebrow and crossed my arms. "Listen here mister, I have been doing _**more**_ than the doctors are telling me to take care of myself, these babies, and still managing to keep everyone else in line. Don't you dare imply I haven't been sleeping enough, or eating," I looked pointedly at Mark for a minute. "Or am being reckless. I will rain down my wrath on the two of your heads, don't think I won't, just because I'm worried about the two of you too, if you so much as imply I need to do anything more than I am." I looked at both of them, my best poker face in place, watching them both blush with embarrassment at being called out, knowing I was right. I was amused more than anything, if I was honest with myself, but neither of them would get to know that right now. "Besides, even Mom, for all her ability to help keep me in line, would agree with me on this point. And if you have any doubts, I'll just call on your parents." Jack groaned and covered his face. Mark's blush brightened. I kept my face still, not letting the laughter that was trying to escape at their expressions show. "Now, both of you better behave."

Jack ducked his head into my side and murmured an apology, softly. I reached over and stroked his hair, smiling softly, finally letting some of my amusement show. Mark stammered an apology as well, then groaned when he saw my expression. "You think it's funny, don't you? That you can keep us in line this way and know our folks are going to back you up."

I grinned at him and nodded. "A bit, yeah. But I have other ways to keep you in line too. Ones I like far better. But you annoyed me enough that they skipped right out of my head for a minute." I looked into Mark's eyes and let other thoughts, sexy ones, flash across my brain and eyes. He swallowed and leaned into my other side, panting slightly as he moved in for a scorching hot kiss. I kissed him back, with some of the built up passion and frustration I had been stewing on all morning until he broke the kiss, melting into my side and trying to catch his breath. I smirked at him. He groaned again. I turned back to Jack, who was blushing slightly as he watched, but also unconsciously rutting against me a little, clearly worked up. When I kissed him, he started grinding harder, clearly frustrated. The kiss lasted long enough he was completely breathless when we separated and clearly achingly hard. I smiled softly. "Now, let's move this little party to the bathroom, yes? We can continue under the shower, uninterrupted, as long as none of us take too long to get cleaned up after. We do have people here waiting for us after all."

Jack moaned a little, softly, into my shoulder at the reminder. "Ye are far too good at keeping yer head when we get started, love. It's so frustrating, even if it is helpful at tha same time."

I chuckled. "Not always Sean. Sometimes you and Mark scramble my thought processes too much too. But not yet, today at least. Go help Mark into the bathroom. I can wait for you both here and get undressed."

Both men swallowed and nodded, suddenly moving faster, Mark shedding clothes as fast as he could around his injuries, while Jack rolled the wheelchair over. Mark had managed to get down to just his shirt, which I helped ease him out of, with Jack's assistance at the end, just in time to hop over to the wheelchair and sit on the towel in the seat. He growled sexily at me as Jack pushed him into the bathroom, making me grin and wink back. A moment later, Jack was back for me, pushing the wheelchair out of the bathroom to give us more room, and scooping my now naked body up in his arms. I smiled and rested my head against his chest, wrapping my arms around his neck to help balance and make it easier to carry me. Jack smiled down into my face and raised an eyebrow. "Comfy love?" I nodded and leaned up, kissing him softly along the jaw. He chuckled and carried into the bathroom, settling me on the shower bench next to Mark, who immediately wrapped me up in a hug while Jack changed out of his clothes and set towels on the counter where we would be able to reach them when we were finished before he grabbed the bottle of lube and joined the two of us under the water. Meanwhile, Mark had leaned over and started rubbing against me, drawing out several whimpers, moans, and an embarrassing mewl when he massaged my breasts unexpectedly. Jack just chuckled again when he heard. "Oh Mark, ye found her weakness. Now, budge over, tha two of ye. I want ta join ye both, but yer taking up too much room."

I just whimpered, as Mark moved away from me, my brain overloaded and melted already, unable to understand why he was moving at the moment. Jack reached down and picked me up again, lifting me into his lap with a smile. I sighed happily and started rubbing against him, trying to make him feel as good as he and Mark were making me feel. Mark laughed softly. "Babe, are you having fun? You seem anxious for us to get moving. Slow down a little. We're not in that much of a hurry."

Jack, who I was still rubbing against, full body, and grinding on his lap, was panting now. He looked at Mark, his eyes blown wide with lust. "Sp-speak fer yerself. Right... Right there love. Mmm." I ground a little harder, following Jack's directions, drawing a sinful moan out of him and teasing both of us, his dick just barely sliding into me before I shifted and he slid back out. Both of us groaned again at the feeling. Mark leaned closer and started using his mouth on our shoulders, alternating between us as he licked and nipped along our collar bones, sucking small love bites, and leaving behind a trail of small marks and bruises that our clothes would keep hidden that made both of us burn with desire. I shivered as Mark bit a little harder on my shoulder, making me jump slightly, just enough to bounce on Jack's lap, forcing him to slide into me fully now. I started panting, moving uncontrollably, and just losing my mind completely. Jack panted my name brokenly a few times, trying to keep up with my movements. Mark's whine made Jack turn his head just enough to look at him. I was too far gone to the pleasure to hear much other than the rumbling noises of the two men talking, but seconds later, Jack shifted slightly, lifting both of us up just enough for Mark to slide in behind Jack, sitting with his legs on either side of us. Mark immediately started fingering Jack open, using the lube Jack had grabbed, changing the rhythm just a little as Jack alternated between seeking the feelings of Mark's fingers sliding into him, opening his ass so Mark could fuck him properly, and me, riding him like my life depended on it. I felt Jack getting closer and closer to his orgasm, my own building at a much slower pace. When Jack came, just a few seconds later, I kept riding him, not letting him rest, just as Mark kept fingering him open. Jack whimpered once, when Mark hit his prostate a little too soon after his climax, but got back into things quickly. 

Mark finally felt like he had Jack worked open enough and tapped Jack's hipbone, rinsing the lube off his fingers even as he signaled for Jack to shift back onto his lap. Jack eased me off him for just long enough to get settled on Mark, both men focusing their hands on me while I waited, somewhat impatiently. Jack groaned as Mark bottomed out in him, then helped me slide back onto him. Jack's eyes closed as he started moaning, deep in his throat, and he completely lost his mind, fucking himself back and forth in an almost jerky fashion between our bodies. The motion, while not at all smooth, drove him deeper into me than he had been reaching before, bringing me to an orgasm unexpectedly. The wave of pleasure crashed over me and all I could do was cling to Jack's chest as I tried to recover. My second orgasm started building almost straight away, faster than the first, and all it took to make me come again was having both men suddenly pay attention to my oversensitive breasts, something they did when they noticed how I was rubbing them against Jack's chest and keening or mewling softly at every touch. Both of them leaned forward just enough to latch on and gently start sucking on my nipples, causing me to orgasm for the second time in ten minutes, cumming so hard my whole world disappeared into soft darkness for a little while. Jack told me later he lifted me off himself and set me on the bench next to the two of them so they could finish when they both saw I was gone. I don't really know. All I know is that by the time I came back to myself, however long it was after that, Jack and Mark were still fucking like bunnies. I smiled as I watched the two of them for a few moments, too exhausted to do anything to help either of them for the time being. Suddenly I head Mark groan, and recognized the sound of him cumming suddenly. Jack's eyes flew open, blown wide, as Mark filled him up with cum. He whimpered and moaned, still bouncing clearly not yet there and needing more. It was enough to spur me to action. Not letting either man move, I shifted back onto Jack's lap and rode him again, hard, fast, and dirty, driving him absolutely crazy. He came just as a third orgasm swept through me and we both slumped back into Mark, who was still in Jack's ass but was blissed out, based on the look on his face. I sighed, regaining my senses first and carefully got up, wincing slightly at the feeling of Jack's cum running down my thighs and legs, dripping onto the shower floor. I grabbed the portable shower head and cleaned up then turned to Jack, who was squirming slightly in Mark's arms now. I smiled at him. "Hey, do you want me to help you clean up a little?"

Jack blushed slightly as he looked at me, then ducked his head. "Um, actually, I have a request."

I looked at him and grinned. "I bet I know what it is." I leaned forward and kissed his forehead, whispering in his ear my guess. He looked relieved that I understood and nodded. I winked and reached out of the shower, opening our 'special' drawer in the bathroom, filled with sex toys, and grabbed a large butt plug. Jack wanted to keep his ass plugged today, something he and Mark both did on occasion. Mark was still mostly hard when Jack shifted again and started to get up, and he instinctively grabbed Jack by the waist and started fucking him again, taking Jack completely by surprise. I giggled as I watched, running hands over both of them and helping them get each other off again. This time, when Mark came again, I forced Jack off his dick before Jack even had the chance to question it and plugged him up. Jack groaned and his dick throbbed, still not quite done, so I reached down and gave him a fast blow job. The sounds and feeling of Jack cumming down my throat made me feel good, even though it was entirely for Jack's benefit. He slumped on the shower seat, then yelped as the butt plug shifted in him a little uncomfortably. I rinsed off again and handed him the shower wand. "Hey, hubby mine. You clean up now. We can both help Mark when he's back with us, in a few minutes. Man, he either really needed this, or he was just really, really into it."

Jack nodded, looking sleepy. "Yeah, I think he was more tense than we knew, love. He's pretty gone again."

I chuckled. "Well, some of us don't have the same number of orgasms in us as you, sweetie. I mean, it seems like you are always more energetic and can go longer than the rest of us, which makes it harder for the two of us to keep you happy sometimes. But we love you anyway, overly horny and hyper as you are."

Jack grinned and blushed a little, then kissed me softly, a look of pure love in his eyes. "Ye both do an amazing job keeping me happy. And ye keep up me with me, both in and out of tha bedroom, really well. Ta be honest, sometimes ye are tha one we can't keep up with. And I do believe ye had just as many orgasms as I did today. I am happy, in case ye doubted it. Happier than I've ever been in my life, ta tell tha truth. And ye are both willing ta try anything I want ta explore, or at least tell me why ye won't if I manage ta find a new kink ye are uncomfortable with. "

I looked down. "I'm sorry about that one, Sean. I just couldn't handle the thought of that. If you and Mark want to try it someday, when I'm not around, I won't stop you, but choking..." I had to stop, shivering hard. "With what happened with my Dad..."

Jack's arms were suddenly around me. I sank into the warm embrace he offered, shivering for several reasons, sniffling, trying not to cry too hard, fighting down pain and panic. Jack just held me close, kissing me wherever he could reach, mostly the top of my head and forehead. "Shh, love. Ye're okay. Ye're safe. Ye know we would never, ever, ever do anything ta hurt ye, or each other. I honestly didn't know he did that ta ye, when I asked. He's a right bastard, but that's on him, not ye. Ye're our amazing, sweet, wonderful lass, without whom we would both be lost."

I shivered again and nodded, still curled as small and tight to Jack as I could get. "H-he did, twice. And he br-broke my collar bone once, which put me in a neck brace for a while, which he would grab onto and squeeze. He also did things to trigger panic attacks and asthma attacks so I couldn't breathe."

Mark's voice startled me slightly as he joined the hug, wrapping me tight from the other side, helping me calm down a little more and warming me up again. "Babe. Come here." Jack helped me shift a little closer to Mark, still not letting me go, but just moving along with us. "You just stay here until you feel better about everything, okay? Forget anything else you might think you have to do. You are more important than anything and we both need you safe. We love you so, so much." He rubbed his arms over my back. "You're freezing. That's not good. Jack, can you please turn the water off now? I think we're all about as clean as we're going to get and we need to dry off and get our lovely lady here warm and dry." Jack smiled and kissed me one more time as he shut the water off, then grabbed the towels from the counter, wrapping one around his waist and handing two more to Mark while he stepped out of the shower to grab the wheelchair. Mark took the towels and wordlessly wrapped one around me, then dried himself off a bit and wrapped the second one around himself, pulling me into his warmth again as soon as possible. He just kept holding me, even when Jack came back. "Jack, I have an idea. Babe, I'm going to let you go, just for a minute. Jack is going to help get me settled in the wheelchair. Then, he can pick you back up and hand you over to me and push us both in the chair back to the bedroom. We can wait on the end of the bed, wrapped in blankets, while he gets us both clothes for the day and you get warmed back up. I don't like how cold you feel right now." Mark looked at Jack, still not letting me go, for confirmation. Jack smiled and nodded slowly, then moved to do exactly that. Jack actually lifted me out of the shower, setting me on the toilet, so I would be out of the wet, while he helped Mark onto the wheelchair, then lifted me gently into Mark's waiting arms. I curled in close again, still shivering and cold, feeling slightly delicate. Mark just kept holding me until we got to the bed, only allowing me to climb onto the bed before he hopped over, then wrapped us both in the blankets, pulling me into his side again. I simply snuggled into him, letting him take care of me, letting Jack help both of us. Mark stroked his good hand down my back, slowly, helping me calm down fully. 

Jack was quiet as he brought over clothes for both of us on the bed, having already gotten himself dressed. He helped Mark dress first, then turned to me. "Love, do ye want me ta help ye put yer clothes on? How can I help ye feel better?"

I looked into his worried eyes, then over at Mark, who looked equally worried. I smiled a soft, half smile at both of them. "I'm okay, really. I'm just cold. The babies have been sucking away all the heat from me for a while, and I had hoped by now it would have gotten better, at least a little, but it doesn't seem like it has. I'm over my anxiety from a little while ago, thanks to the two of you. I just can't get warm enough. But Sean, sweetheart, if you want to help me get dressed, I won't say no."

He grinned and nodded, reaching for me immediately and pulling me over to the edge of the bed. He helped me into my underwear and bra first, then pulled a long, warm, soft, incredibly stretchy sweater dress over my head, helping me get it settled properly, then grabbing the maternity leggings he had selected to go with it and helping me into them. I stood up, finishing the last of the outfit adjustments, while Jack pushed Mark into our home office, to the conference table. I followed, stopping at the door to the playroom to peek in at the kids and Ma and Pa. The girls were all playing, except Sammi, who was holding Jacobs hand, snuggling close to both him and Ma as they listened to stories, mostly about what Jack was like when he was little, at least from what I could hear from where I was standing. Dani was close by, laying on her belly on the floor, coloring or drawing. Tiana and Steph were building a block creation with Pa over at the toddler table. I smiled contentedly, watching everyone. I felt Jack come up behind me and rested my head on his shoulder when he just placed a hand on my arm. I heard him sigh softly and looked over at him. He looked happy, so I gave him a fast kiss on the cheek before turning back to the office and settling in my rolling seat, moving over close to Mark. Mark grinned and pulled my chair even closer, pulling me into a quick kiss. "Hey, come sit with me for a while."

I smiled and nodded, pulling my phone and laptop over, and grabbing a pad of paper and pen to take some notes as we talked this morning. Jack slipped out of the room again, coming back just moments later with my silver blanket, a large cup of tea for me, a coffee for Mark, and a coffee for himself. Ethan, Tyler, Robin, and Kathryn trailed in behind him, carrying their own drinks, a few steps after. Jack grabbed his computer chair and rolled over to me, pulling in as close as he could get on the opposite side from Mark, handed us our drinks, and wrapped the blanket around me, tucking the side in where he was. Mark grinned and tucked the other side in. I sighed and thanked the both, quietly, then looked over at the editors and Tyler. I had just opened my mouth to start the meeting when both Jack and Mark leaned over and kissed my cheeks. I blushed, then smiled. Tyler laughed softly. "Okay, let's get started here, before we all get side tracked or something. Tyler, can you please shut the office door, just so the noise from the playroom doesn't get too loud and the kids don't come running in? The girls know if the door is closed not to come in, and they are usually pretty good about following that rule. It makes editing a lot easier on whoever is working on it."

Robin grinned and chuckled. "Why do I have the feeling you stay on top of that better than we should have the right to expect? I mean, I know you have been an editor, so I think you might know how to streamline things and handle that part of the job."

Mark and Jack both looked at me, grinning. I chuckled. "Yeah. I try my damnedest to keep things as easy as possible, if only because the longer it takes, the more editing I would potentially have to do. And the whole point of hiring more people is to make my life less difficult, so there is that too. So part of the reason is self-interest and laziness, I guess."

Jack laughed. "Love, ye are as far from lazy as I can imagine. Don't try ta trick our new employees. That's just wrong." 

I blushed as Kathryn, Ethan, and Tyler chuckled. Robin just looked thoughtful. Tyler grinned at me. "Yeah, I've been here long enough to see that's a load of crap. You work harder and longer than anyone else, even when you're supposed to be resting. And just because you're sitting down, it doesn't mean you aren't working on something, or planning, or thinking about work. I don't think you could get everything done in a day unless you were a workaholic."

My blushed brightened. Mark wrapped an arm around my shoulders, smiling at me. "Babe, you know he's right. Why do you think everyone around here calls you a superhero? I mean really. You know that's a big part of why. Jack and I love you for it, but you make us both worry all the same."

Robin chuckled quietly as he observed everything. "You all make it sound like she never stops moving and no one else could possibly do everything she's doing now. I mean, how much exactly are we talking about anyway?"

I looked at the new editors, then down at the table, still blushing a little. "Well, when I was hired and started working with Mark and Jack, almost three years ago now, I was doing all the editing for their channels, started my own, started teaching myself animation, and was made head of the camera crew for the show. I was still doing all those things, except some of the editing for the guys, which has been shifted to new hires at the TV show, hired on specifically for that, when I was hired to be a talent on the show, started filming all the promos for the show and editing those, and my department grew. I have also been known to film the TV show when we are down people, and have been regularly recording with Jack since just a few months after we started working together, at least two or three days a week. Mark and I have recently started recording together as well, and I started another channel, that the girls appear on sometimes, as a family channel for all of us. But the three of you, well four, technically, sorry Tyler, won't have to focus on anything but the edits for Jack or Mark, unless something changes, and even then you'd be paid extra and would have the right to refuse. Mark and Jack both want to try more ambitious projects than they have in the past, editing-wise, which is part of why we are hiring all of you. Robin, if we end up leaving the TV show, we plan on offering the editor Jack has been working with a position, as a second editor to help you. I have a personal assistant, but she and I would still both be working on the show, just with me from wherever we end up living. We might extend an offer to Mark's editor too, but we're less sure if he would want to come over with us. Jack's editor, Adam, doesn't like being in charge of other people, so we're pretty sure he's going to be willing to go back to being the second in command. He has been having to oversee a few people at the TV show when he edits other things and even on a few of the projects Jack has had him work on that I wasn't part of." I sighed and looked at Ethan and Kathryn. "Gary is Mark's editor at the TV show for the YouTube stuff, but he likes being in charge of things, so he might just want to stay with the show, which is also why we've decided to hire both of you now. I'm sure all of you will be meeting Danica, my assistant, who occasionally edits with me for my stuff, before long. She or her girlfriend are over fairly often, between meeting me about work commitments and dropping off the fan mail."

Jack grinned and nodded. "That and they come ta see tha girls and get food. Ye feed half tha damn planet, given tha chance, love. Ye know ye do."

I blushed and waved a hand, not denying it, but trying not to encourage him either. "Anyway, Danica will be friendly enough, I think, and I can arrange to talk to Gary and Adam tomorrow. First though, I have to ask, Robin, do you want to work with Adam in the first place? I mean, do you even want the extra help with Jack's videos?"

Robin looked thoughtful. "Maybe? I mean, I'm not sure yet. I need to see what he has in mind first and maybe look at the raw footage to see how long things will take."

I nodded and looked down at the notepad I had in front of me, looking at the notes I had for coming into this meeting and suddenly formed a new plan. "All right. Either way, I think I'm calling him in this afternoon for a short visit. If you don't want to work with him, I'll just ask him to work as the editor for my channel and the shared family channel. He's worked with me before enough we can adapt things to suit him better and I know he's been anxious about the work situation as it currently sits. He's a really good editor, and a great guy, so I definitely don't want to leave him high and dry. Gary's nice too, don't get me wrong, but he seems a lot happier at the TV show right now than Adam." 

Mark looked surprised for a minute, then smiled at me. "Good. You need the extra help, even if you won't admit it. And by the time these babies actually get here, you are definitely going to need it. I mean, eight more babies..." He shook his head trailing off and staring into the distance. 

I chuckled very softly and looked at our new hires. They all were looking amused at Mark's distraction and concerned at the same time. I tore off the top sheet of paper with my notes on it and handed it over to Tyler, with a pencil. "Here. You're in charge of Mark's project stuff and I have the feeling you're going to need notes more than I will when we get into the details of what he's got planned. Jack's got a lot of ideas too Robin, but I'll let him go into those with you and I know Jack's a bit more organized about his plans than Mark, usually." I looked at everyone again, focusing on each person's face briefly. "Okay, if you have any questions, for any of us, please ask now, or when they come to you. That's a lot of what today is about, making sure all of you are familiar with what you'll be doing and finding out what you need to know."

Everyone nodded and we all buckled down, focusing on what the plans for the next few months would be, the scope of the projects both men wanted to start making, the notes we had about the day to day editing for daily videos, and answering everyone's questions as they came up. We continued the meeting uninterrupted until about eleven, when I finally raised my head and stood up, stretching and letting out a small whimper as my legs and feet protested me getting up. "I'll be right back everyone. I need to take a short break. If anyone needs to get a drink refill or stretch for a few minutes, now would probably be a good time. Let's all say we'll meet back here in fifteen minutes?" The editors all nodded and walked toward the door, Tyler smiled at me and nodded too, and Jack and Mark both watched me, worried. I smiled at them, despite the pain I was feeling. "I'm okay guys, calm down. I just need to go to the bathroom. Our babies are kicking the hell out of me today, and two of them are putting a lot of pressure, and a rather painful limb, right on my bladder. I just need to go take care of that and get some more to drink, that's all."

Mark nodded and sighed. "I wish I could help you to the bathroom, babe. You look like it hurts to just stand there."

I sighed and looked down. Jack came over and hugged me resting a hand on the babies. "I'll come with ye, love. I know it's hard for ye ta get up and down sometimes." I nodded and leaned into him, making him smile brighter. "Hmm. Ye feel good in my arms. Do ye want me ta carry ye back ta tha bathroom? It might help yer back, legs, and feet. I know ye said this morning they've been bothering ye."

I looked into his face and smiled softly. "I can walk, Sean. Yes, my legs and feet hurt, but I'm doing all right for the moment. They were what made me whimper a little though. I think we might want to borrow a wheelchair for the next week or so, until we see if Mark needs to stay in one for longer, after all. The stress on my body is only going to get worse, and these babies are growing at a monster rate right now."

Jack nodded and kissed my shoulder. "Whatever ye need. Seriously. I think we ought ta just buy a second wheelchair. They aren't that expensive, and with tha craziness of our lives... Hell, with twelve kids and three adults, two wheelchairs doesn't seem like enough. Especially since we're all a bit on tha accident prone side. We can go pick one up later, this afternoon, okay? And thank ye for looking after yerself. I know ye can walk still right now, but if it hurts ye already, knowing ye are willing ta use tha wheelchair makes me feel better. Mark too. Our parents have all said tha same thing. Don't forget, ye have a small army of support."

I reached a and up and stroked Jack's beard, lightly, and kissed him softly on the cheek. "I know. You and Mark are at the front of it. I don't forget, and lately, even my panic and anxiety doesn't block it out. You both treat me so well and love me so much, nothing can make me doubt it." I snuggled a little closer to his chest. "Even the doubts I had the first time I was pregnant, that maybe the babies were the ones you both were really in love with, aren't there anymore."

Jack hugged me again and kept his arms around me, then whispered in my ear. "Love? What made ye ever think that?"

I looked into his eyes, letting the ghosts of my past flicker there, explaining better than words. He swallowed and kissed my forehead, looking a little sad for me. I just sighed. "Sean, I really don't want to move, but I need the bathroom. If one of the babies elbows, punches, or kicks my bladder, I might have an accident here."

Jack chuckled softly and scooped me up in his arms. "Ye got it. And I got ye." He turned to the rest of the room. The editors had all wandered out. Tyler was looking over his notes, not really paying any attention to us. Mark was watching us, an expression of wistful anxiety on his face. Jack nodded to him. "We'll be back in a couple of minutes, Mark. I'm taking our lass ta tha bathroom. What do ye want me ta get ye ta drink, when we come back? Coffee? Juice? Do ye need anything else?"

Mark shook his head, his expression softening to amusement. "Nah. Just take care of [Y/N] for now. I'm good here. Is she really not fighting you about being carried around today?"

I blushed and ducked into Jack's shoulder. He smiled down at me, and expression of love on his face that I could just see from the corner of my eye. "She's being sensible. And, no she's not fighting me carrying her around right now. I think her legs and feet are still bothering her too much. We'll talk about it later though, okay? She really needs tha bathroom right now." Mark nodded. Jack carried me out making a bee-line for the bathroom. He helped me onto the toilet and sat down on the edge of the bathtub, watching for when I was done. "Love, ye really are doing a great job answering everyone's questions this morning and keeping Mark and I on track. I think Robin, Kathryn, and Ethan are all going ta like working with ye. I know ye were worried about things, and having tha three of them ready ta work so soon will be good for all of us. What are yer plans for getting them started?"

I smiled. "I'm hoping that by the end of next week all three of them will be up to speed. I don't know how long Robin can stay either. I might have to shift the focus to making sure he's up and ready to take over first, then work with Ethan and Kathryn more later, since they are actually going to be close by for a while. I figured I'd talk to Robin first, and find out his timeline. I don't want him to feel unwelcome or rushed either way. And of course, you should focus on talking to Robin about your projects and plans for what you want to do as much as you need to. Maybe we should break for the rest of the morning, at least until lunchtime, to have you meet with Robin and Mark meet with Ethan, Tyler, and Kathryn, just to finalize things. We can meet back up after lunch for a short group meet, have them all sign the contracts, and work out the last few details we need." I paused. "Oh, and we should figure out the payroll situation, I guess. We really should hire a financial advisor I think, to run the payroll, advise us about business and tax decisions, and generally keep the business budget in line."

Jack nodded. "Ye're right, we should. Tha question is, who can we hire on short notice? It's not like this would be a full-time job, probably."

I had an idea and grinned, grabbing my phone. I texted a fast message out to Mandy and asked her to come over as soon as she could. She immediately texted back, promising to be here in fifteen minutes or less. I looked over at Jack, who looked like he was going to die of curiosity, seeing me suddenly spring to life. "Okay, I thought of somebody and sent them a message. They will be here soon. Actually, they will get here right about the same time we all need to meet back up after our break."

Jack raised an eyebrow at me. "Who did ye ask? How do they know where we live? And how do ye know them? Is it someone I know too?"

I giggle. "Jack! You sound like one of the girls, asking all those questions at once and not even giving me time to answer. You'll see when they get here. And I know you and Mark will approve. Now, hush and help me up, please. I'm done here." 

Jack still looked curious, but he just nodded and stood up, stepping forward to help me up then scooping me back up in his arms after I washed my hands. He carried me into the kitchen and opened the fridge, not setting me down, just balancing me carefully, and had me get a bottle of water and a glass of juice. Then he had me pour him a mug of coffee and hold on to that and the other drinks while he carried me back to the meeting room. I set everything on the table, expecting Jack to gently settle me in my chair, but instead, he leaned over and kissed Mark, then straightened up enough for me to do the same. "Mark, what do ye want ta drink now. Tha lass and I got some drinks for her and a cup of coffee for me, but ye need ta drink more too. I'm going ta go fetch her a small snack, and she can come with me ta pick it out, unless she wants ta wait here with ye, since she didn't eat much breakfast. I'll get ye a drink at tha same time, if ye tell me what ye want. Otherwise, I'll just bring ye back something and hope it's right."

Mark sighed. I looked at Jack and kissed him gently. "Sean, thank you. You can leave me here with Mark. I know I'm heavy and you don't need the extra strain. Besides, I want to sit here with our cute boyfriend and snuggle him. I've been getting lots of snuggles from you lately and I feel like Mark and I haven't been able to sit together as much. We'll be fine here. And anything you want to bring me would be great, for a small snack, as long as it is a small amount. No more than a handful of whatever or a cup of yogurt."

Jack smiled and nodded, setting me down in my chair, being extra careful. I kissed him again and slid the chair right up against Mark's side. Mark instantly reached over and hugged me, then drew me in for a kiss. "Hi gorgeous. Thanks for sitting with me. Jack, you can bring me back whatever. You know what I like, and I trust you." Mark and Jack shared a look, which was probably more sexual than Mark meant it to be, and it amused me, but I stayed quiet. I just smiled and leaned in closer to Mark as Jack nodded again and left the room. Mark reached his hand over and started rubbing my belly, leaning forward a little to talk to the babies. I just watched, my smile never wavering, and floofed his hair a bit. Jack came back in a minute or two later with a banana for me and a bottle of water for Mark, as well as another cup of coffee for him. Mark grinned, looking up from my belly. "Did I really look that thirsty Jack?"

I giggled. Jack chuckled as well. "Yep. I thought ye should be drinking more than ye are too. Now, hush. Tha editors and Tyler could come back and hear ye talking dirty ta me. Who knows what they would think?"

Mark blushed and flapped his bad arm. "That's not how I meant that! I mean, well... Okay, maybe it's true."

I laughed a bit louder, unable to hide the amusement now bubbling over in my chest. "Mark, baby, you and Jack both looked like you wanted to jump each other just a few seconds before he walked out the door. It was definitely a thirsty look. And Jack, sweetie, the editors would probably think the same things everyone else thinks when they see the three of us getting a bit frisky or flirty with each other. That we're cute or get a little embarrassed because we have no shame sometimes. But I mean, come on, this is our house, so if we're going to be like that anywhere, it's going to be here. It doesn't seem like any of them would be judgemental or get too uncomfortable, unless they walked in on something they shouldn't, like Tyler did when we were in the shower the other day when he overheard us while he was helping Mark. And it would be better if we know now, if there is a problem, so we can address it before things get out of hand or it becomes more of an issue later, when I can't deal with things myself. So far though, it seems like everybody is a really good fit and we should have no problems working with anyone." I sighed and leaned into Mark's side. He hugged me closer with his good arm. "Mark, have you given any thought to what we should do if the family has to go to Ireland, as far as working with the new editors? Are you going to ask them to move with us?"

Mark blinked at me, his mouth opening slightly. "Uh... I hadn't really thought that far ahead."

I bit my lip and looked back at him, worried about stressing him out to much or upsetting Jack. "Well, maybe give it a little thought. I mean, we don't even have to go to Ireland, if we don't want to, there are several other countries offering us VISAs and even naturalization, but we might need to consider what and where to go with things soon. None of us are making any decisions until we have all the facts, but I need you to consider what you want to do before we have to decide right away, okay? And Jack and I were talking and think we should hire someone, at least part time to work for the company, doing the finances and who knows tax stuff. I contacted someone and they are on their way over, but I wanted to at least tell you, so you weren't totally caught off guard. I'm going to go get the contract started. We can hammer the details out when they get here, in a few minutes."

Mark looked at me, the same avid curiosity on his face that Jack had displayed just moments ago when I mentioned it then. "Who did you ask?"

I shook my head, still smiling, as I pulled my laptop over close and got to work adjusting the boilerplate contract, filling in the needed details and changing it to suit the new position. Jack chuckled softly on Mark's other side. "She won't tell me anything either, Markimoo. She's having fun torturing us with this, I think. At least we won't have ta wait long though. She said tha new person would be here around tha same time everybody should be coming back from tha break. That's only another five or ten minutes."

Ethan came back in the room, followed by Stephanie and Dani, who were both grinning and chasing after him. I smiled up from the computer and both girls immediately abandoned Ethan for me when they saw me watching, running over and trying to climb onto my lap, letting Ethan escape again. I sighed and helped them up, being careful. Dani managed to climb off me onto the edge of the table between Mark and I, grinning like a little monkey. I chuckled softly and kissed her forehead. "So are you two girls having fun this morning?"

Steph snuggled into the side of my chair and hugged me. "Yes, Momma. But we missed ye at breakfast. Daddy said ye didn't feew very good. Is tha babies making ye sick again?"

I smiled down at her, pulling her closer for a hug. "Not exactly. The babies are getting big and heavy and it's making Momma hurt. Daddy and Papa were taking care of me this morning. Daddy made us breakfast while Papa cuddled me and rubbed my tummy so the babies would move a little and let Momma eat. And that's why Daddy brought me a snack just now. Momma still couldn't eat very much this morning."

Dani looked at the banana and frowned. "That's not a very big snack. Isn't ye hungry Momma?"

I looked at her, her face full of curiosity and concern. "Actually, doodle bug, I did eat some breakfast, just not a lot. This will probably be all I can manage before lunch anyway. Now, what are the two of you up to? Anything fun?"

Dani and Steph shared a look of mischief and nodded. "Ethan came in and knocked over our tower. We's gonna get him back."

I raised an eyebrow. "And just how are you going to do that? Don't forget, Momma find out everything, so you better be good."

They both grinned and nodded. Stephanie answered for both of them. "We aren't gonna _hurt_ him, Momma." She stood up next to me on the chair and whispered in my ear. "We's just gonna tickle him 'til he 'pologizes."

I just gave her a look. "Hmm. Alright then. That's okay, as long as you remember the rules. If he says no, you stop. Got it?" Both girls nodded. "Daddy can you help Dani down? I think she and her sister are on a mission of revenge." Both girls giggled, covering their mouths with their hands, then clapped and nodded. Jack grinned and helped both girls back on to the floor and they ran off, looking for Ethan.

Jack and Mark were both smiling at me when I looked over at them, after I watched the girls run out of the room. I raised an eyebrow. Jack answered my look. "We were just wondering what they had dreamed up, love. Ye looked amused, but ye made sure it was okay too. Can ye tell us?"

I laughed. "Sure. You're daughters decided since Ethan destroyed their block tower, he was going to get tickle attacked. They were both building the tower, so they are teaming up on the sneak attack too. I think he just thinks they are going to tackle him. I just reminded the girls of the rules about tickling and told them to behave. I know stopping them would just mean they come up with something else, so this seems harmless enough. And Stephanie assures me they will stop as soon as he tells them he's sorry. I think he might have done it on purpose." Both men chuckled with me. A sudden squeak and startled, breathless laughter drifted into the room from the living room. Mark and I rolled our chairs over to look, just as Jack walked over, helping the two of us. Ethan was laying in the middle of the floor, both girls by his sides, tickling him mercilessly. He was laughing and rolling around, trying to avoid their clever little fingers and hands, barely able to catch his breath. Tyler was sitting on the couch, watching, a huge grin on his face, Tiana curled up in his lap, sound asleep, a book in one hand, her other thumb in her mouth. Kathryn had both dogs curled up next to her, as she sat in the beanbag chair, reading. Robin was talking to Ma on the other couch. And Pa had Sam and Jacob, both curled up next to him, playing with dinosaurs on the floor by the door. I smiled and leaned into Jack's side, without getting up from the chair, holding his hand with both of mine. Mark leaned in from Jack's other side. We just sat (or stood, in Jack's case) watching the scene unfold and smiled. After five or so minutes, I let go of Jack's hand and clapped once, making both Steph and Dani look up, if not stop tickling. "Girls. Have you let poor Ethan catch his breath enough to apologize to you yet?"

They looked at each other and then at Ethan. They both lifted their hands for a minute, crossed their small arms, and looked at him. He lifted his head, finally catching his breath. "Wh-what was that for? What did I do?"

Dani glared at him. "Ye knocked over our tower we were building. We weren't even close ta where ye were standing, so we knowed ye did it a purpose. Now, say sorry or else."

Ethan struggled to sit up. "Or else what, short stuff?"

I looked at Mark and Jack and cleared my throat. "Or else I let them torture you for as long as they want. Girls, all I said was you had to give him the CHANCE to apologize." Instantly, the two girls dove back into his sides, tickling him more fiercely then before. Ethan wheezed and laughed, doubling over and squirming so hard he accidentally hit his head on the floor. 

Both girls paused when he groaned. He looked up at them. "Sorry I broke your tower. Can you please stop now. My throat hurts and I hit my head." Stephanie nodded, then made a hrumping noise and walked back over to the blocks. 

Dani looked at him for a long minute. "Is ye okay? Do ye need some medicine for yer head? Momma keeps some for when Daddy, Papa, and tha growed ups get hurted. She can get it for ye, and she usually gives ye a treat if ye take tha icky without whining." She smiled over at me. "Right Momma?"

I smiled at her. "Sure baby. But I think maybe Daddy can get it, if Ethan needs it. Okay? You go play." Dani very carefully patted Ethan on the shoulder and kissed his head, then skipped over to join Pa and Jacob, abandoning the blocks for the lure of dinosaurs for the time being. 

Ethan groaned again and flopped down onto the floor. "Why do I feel like I was the bratty one in that situation?"

Tyler laughed quietly. "Because you were. You know they were right. Besides, they were both really careful and gentle with you, all things considered. You were the one who hurt yourself, not because of anything they did, but because you couldn't stay still and wouldn't behave."

Jack shook his head at Ethan. "Tyler's right, laddie. Now, do ye need some painkillers before we get back ta work? It's about that time."

Ethan sat up and nodded. "Yeah, I actually did hit my head pretty hard."

I sighed. "I could tell. You have a red spot on your forehead where you smacked the floor too. I'm sorry you hurt yourself though. Please be careful. The girls try their best, but they are all pretty rowdy at times and can be rough without meaning to. They know the rules, but they were following them."

Ethan held up a hand. "I know. This one was all on me." 

Jack had come back now, having slipped off to the bathroom again, coming back with two bottles. He held them up. "Advil or Tylenol? Tha lass takes tha Tylenol usually, especially now that she's got tha babies on tha way, when she takes pain medicine, but Mark and I usually take Advil. And do ye need me ta get ye a drink ta take them with?"

Ethan stood up and shook his head. "Nah. I'll grab a bottle of water and be in the office in a minute. Thanks Jack. Either one will be fine. You can just set them on the table in there and I'll take some when I get there. Kathryn? Robin? Tyler? Do any of you want a drink or anything? I have a free hand."

Kathryn smiled. "Some tea would be great. But I can come help if Robin and Tyler want stuff too."

Robin smiled. "Coffee. Always more coffee, unless I'm on the way to bed, then it's tea."

Tyler grinned. "A bottle of water please. Okay, Miss Tiana, I'm sorry baby girl, but Uncle Tyler needs to go back to work. I'm going to give you over to your Granny here." Tyler lifted the sleeping toddler out of his lap and handed her over to Ma, being gentle. He was so gentle in fact, she didn't even wake up, continuing to sleep once Ma had her settled next to her. He stretched as he straightened back up, his arms reaching up almost to the ceiling. I grinned, looking at Jack and Mark. 

They looked back at me, amusement in their eyes. "Hush, lass. We know what ye're thinking." I raised an eyebrow. "We didn't need tha reminder that we're tha short ones around here."

I laughed. "Actually, I was wondering if I was taller than Tyler, or if I reach higher when I stretch that was all. I usually brush my fingertips on the ceiling."

Mark blinked. "Oh. We thought you were being a brat. Sorry."

I shook my head, then winced as the babies kicked and rolled, being more energetic than usual today. I looked down and sighed. "Chill out babies. Y'all need to calm down today. You're hurting Momma again."

Tyler and Robin both looked at me, a little bit of surprise on their faces. "Y'all? Since when do you say y'all?" Tyler looked confused. Mark and Jack grinned.

I shook my head. "Sorry. Sometimes that just slips out. I was raised in West Virginia, mostly, close to DC, and Mom still lives there. It's southern enough that a lot of people say y'all at times. But I use slang from a lot of different parts of the world. Just ask our other friends." I heaved a sigh. "And please, no jokes about hillbillies or West Virginia being backwards. I really do love the area I grew up. It's very green, with big mountains, lots of woodlands, and it's close to the ocean. I miss it at times, especially this time of year, when it would be fall. I love the change of the seasons, and LA doesn't really have that very much. This year, I'm grateful, because of the pregnancy, but usually, I miss the fall leaves and crisp cool air." I smiled wistfully. "I also miss the rest of my family."

Jack and Mark both rested hands on my shoulders and squeezed gently. I looked up at them both and smiled at them. "We know babe. They are awesome. And we miss our family who isn't here too."

I chuckled softly again. "Actually, sweetheart, I was talking about them too. I count them as family now. God knows, we have more family than half the planet, I think. Maybe we should spend some time with them, on the phone, or Face Time with them tonight."

Jack leaned forward and kissed me. "If ye want, love. I bet we could get at least yer Mom, yer brother, and Mal on tha phone. Maybe Simon or Alison too, unless it's too late."

Mark smiled too, then grabbed my hand. "Yeah. And Mom, Dee, and Tom always love talking to us. You know f they are around they will want to talk. But for now, we better get back to the table. We still have work to do before then."

I nodded, then looked up at Jack when the doorbell rang. "Sweetie-"

Jack just leaned forward and kissed me, cutting off the rest of my comment. "I got it. Ye and Mark head back ta tha table. Can ye help him back over?"

Tyler smiled and stepped over. "I got the Jack. You handle letting your guest in."

I gestured for Tyler to help Mark first. Jack had just gotten to the door, and I wanted to see his reaction when he saw it was Mandy. He opened the door and blinked several times. "Mandy? What are ye doing here?"

I laughed. "Sean, I invited her. Who else would fit the position as financial advisor better than her? Mandy, come on in. I started drawing up a contract, but we will need to go over some of it and I want your input on this. I thought this sounded like a made to order opportunity for you too. Do you want anything to drink? We're about to get our meeting back underway, but you can help yourself and then come in."

Mandy smiled, nodded, and stepped inside the house fully, waving at Ma and Pa, then hugging the girls as they ran over to say hi. The only one who didn't was Tiana, who slept on. Robin waved briefly and got up to join everyone in the office, just as Ethan and Kathryn came out of the kitchen with the requested drinks. Mandy went in the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water for herself, then joined everyone back in the office. Jack had come over and rolled me over to the table again and grabbed an extra chair for Mandy, then closed the door behind her. Everyone got settled. Mark looked over at Mandy with a smile. "Hi Mandy. [Y/N], you're a genius. Mandy will be perfect for this job. Now, let's get everybody introduced around. Guys, this is Bob's wife, Mandy Bell Muyskens. Mandy, this is Ethan Nestor, one of the people we're hiring as an editor for my channel. We're also hiring Kathryn Knutsen, that lovely lady on the other side of the table from you, as an editor for me. You know Tyler. He's going to be the manager for me and my team, and handle a bunch of stuff for all of us, like scheduling appearances. And finally, the gentleman on the end there is Robin Torkar. Jack's hiring him as his editor."

I smiled at everyone as they shook hands or waved at Mandy. She smiled at all of them and waved back or shook the offered hands. When they were all done, I spoke up. "Right. So Mandy is here because we need someone who knows about the financial side of business and can handle the money and payroll for the company for us. Mandy, I know you have been looking for a job, so when I realized what we actually needed, you were the first person I thought of. Now, I have the partial contract drawn up, like I mentioned a minute ago. I'll send it to you to look at, unless you want to come sit next to me and we can go over it now. Jack, you should start going over Robin's contract with him and make any necessary changes so we can get it signed this afternoon, if there are any changes. Mark you do the same for Ethan, Kathryn, and Tyler, please. After we get all the contracts hammered out, we can start actually planning training, schedules, and project timelines. We'll break for lunch at one. After lunch, I'm going to spend the afternoon resting in the living room, but by all means, everyone else can work in here, or out there. Ask me any questions you have, unless I manage to fall asleep, please. Jack and Mark will be available to ask too, except for a little while when Jack has to pop out to run a fast errand or two. Mandy, you should text Bob and tell him about the job, after you sign the contract, and you should both stay for dinner. Felix and Marzia will probably be here as well later, since Jacob is staying over again, but you're both more than welcome, as I hope you know."

Mandy smiled. "Of course we know. And I will call Bob, after we break for lunch and tell him. I'll have him get some takeout for dinner for everybody too. You look pretty tired and I have the feeling you should be resting and sleeping more than you are, not cooking for an army."

Jack laughed. "Yeah, but good luck getting her ta rest or relax. This week and weekend have been insane and will be until at least Sunday." He looked down at the table, his good humor banished suddenly as he thought about tomorrow. I reached over and hugged him as he continued. "Tomorrow we meet with tha legal team for tha show, ta find out what's happening with my VISA."

I stroked a hand down his back as I hugged him as close as we could manage in the chairs. Mark reached over and rubbed his back too, from Jack's other side. "Sean, love, please don't worry. I promise, no one is going to force the family apart and I will move heaven and earth to make sure of that. Hell, I have so many layers of backup in place or ready to move in that it's a wonder we can move at all sometimes. Now, please, for me, try not to stress too much." I lifted his chin to look directly into his eyes. "It stresses me out too, to see you so upset. And that's not good for any of us. Think about tomorrow afternoon instead, when we can see the pictures of the babies and find out their genders, or tomorrow night, with the kids Halloween party and all the adorable costumes. The girls are going to look absolutely amazing."

Jack swallowed and nodded, then hugged me back fiercely. I just held him as long as he needed, letting him break the hug while he fought for composure. No one else said anything, clearly concerned for him, but not wanting to embarrass him either. Mark just met my eyes and bit his lip, his hand still on Jack's back, wanting to comfort him, but not knowing what to do. After a minute, Jack let me go, reluctantly. "Thank ye, love. Sorry everyone. This is just so stressful. And it's been looming over my head almost two whole months now."

I sighed. "The sword of Damocles. Don't worry, sweetie. I'm here to catch it and shield you. And I can turn the damn thing back on the people who screwed this whole thing up so badly in the first place. Honestly, I'm a whole hell of a lot scarier than the US government has any idea." I smiled a thin, lethal looking smile. "Though they may soon find that out. God help them if they unleash the anger in me. I fear the world may shake on it's axis."

Jack and Mark both shivered a little. Mandy just looked at my expression and shivered too. Tyler shook his head. Ethan, Kathryn, and Robin looked a little doubtful and confused. Mark saw and shook his head at them. "Listen guys, our gorgeous, sweet, lady love is amazing and wonderful, but she can be scarier than anyone I've ever seen. She made the head lawyer at the show almost crap himself and have to hide under the table that last time we met with them. And she didn't yell, at all, or even raise her voice."

I looked down at the table. "I was upset, Mark. He basically accused me of getting pregnant with eight babies on purpose, and it felt like he was saying I did it to be dramatic. I'm not a drama queen or reckless or any of the other million and one things that the rest of the implications of his statement suggested either. And being seven weeks into the pregnancy, my hormones were just really starting to kick into gear. That's why I started crying then too." I crossed my arms in front of me, more trying to comfort myself than anything, but Jack saw me shiver a little and stepped out of the office for a minute. He came back with my silver blanket and wrapped me up in it, hugging me as he did so. I smiled tightly at him. "Thanks Jack."

He just smiled back at me. "Love, ye should have asked me ta bring that in sooner. I forgot how cold ye are sometimes, just because I'm used ta how ye are when ye're not pregnant. Asking for a blanket isn't going ta upset anyone. And Mark and I would far rather have ye be warm and happy than trying ta tough it out and be cold or get sick." He leaned forward and kissed my cheek. "And I know part of that wasn't being cold, but I suspect ye were still colder than ye wanted ta let us know."

Mandy chuckled as he rested his hand on Jack's back again. "Honestly, Jack's right. You never admit you need help most of the time, unless it's really dire. And a blanket is hardly going to upset anyone, even if you were worried about looking unprofessional. And the people who matter, your friends and family, even your fans, know you wouldn't do anything to put you or anyone you care about at risk on purpose. We've all seen how much of a struggle you've had since you got pregnant, even the people who didn't see it when you were pregnant with the girls, so we know you wouldn't do this on purpose. I can't believe anyone would think that, even. That lawyer must really have been a jerk."

I nodded, still not meeting her eyes. "Yeah, he is. But then again, he's the best lawyer the TV show has and is the head of the department, so maybe that's why he thought someone might do that."

Jack hugged me again. "Love, ye know better. Mark and I know better. Ye take damn good care of everyone, except maybe yerself occasionally, so just don't focus on what one person who doesn't know ye at all said when ye know he's wrong. Mark didn't mean ta drag up bad memories. He was just explaining ta tha new recruits how scary ye can be."

I rested my head on Jack's chest. "I don't like having to be scary though. It always upsets me just as much as, or more than anyone else. I'd much rather people listen to me without having to lower the boom like that." I moved my hand to my tummy. "It's a lot more healthy for the babies and I too, having me stay calm and happier."

Mark moved his hand from Jack's back to my belly, next to mine, intertwining our fingers over the babies. Jack set his hand there too, just below ours and patted my bump. "Ye're doing better than anyone could expect or hope, love. Just remember that and remember how much people around ye love ye. Mark and i are glad ye're asking for help too, even if we can;t do everything for ye, like we want ta. Now, let's focus on work again for a bit, before we break for lunch. Is that okay with everyone?" Jack looked around the table. Mark smiled and nodded, still rubbing a gentle hand on the babies. Ethan, Kathryn, and Tyler all smiled at us and agreed quickly, then moved over to the far end of the table, Tyler coming over and rolling Mark away to join them. Mandy had already moved over next to me, to go over the contract, and Robin just moved over to Jack's other side to talk to him, and probably me after I finished with Mandy's contract. 

Mandy and I chatted briefly and made the few changed she wanted, setting the contract to be flexible enough so that if we needed more hours from her, or she wanted to change things, we wouldn't have to redraw the document up. She would be getting a very good salary, regardless of the number of hours worked, unless she worked overtime, which would earn her bonuses, paid vacation (about four weeks worth during the year, subject to change, of course), and benefits. It was the same package we were offering the editors and Tyler, with a slightly different salary, naturally, and different vacation package, but the basic contract would be almost identical. Mandy smiled as she signed, after a short argument that we were being too generous. When I assured her we could afford it and the help would be worth far more to me especially, she gave in, grinning. "I feel a little guilty, like you guys are just creating a job so because you know I need one. This is going to be great!"

I chuckled softly. "No, Mandy. We really do need someone with your skills. We're just lucky that you were available. Like I said before, you were absolutely the first person I thought of for the job. Hiring people we know and trust is always first on our list of requirements. Now, what equipment will you need or software, to run things for us? Anything special? Or should we just order you a decent laptop and lat you pick out the software after it gets here?"

Mandy chuckled as she signed the last page of the contract. "Anything you get will be fine. I already have some software I can use until I go over the books and see exactly what you will need. Or I can use online stuff. Just don't forget to keep the receipts for things now. You'd be surprised what can be counted as completely legitimate business expenses, especially since you three work from home so much. And most of the computer equipment and video games you all buy will be tax deductible too."

I smiled and nodded. "Thank Mandy. Feel free to just hang out with the girls and Ma and Pa then until lunch, or if you want to use one of the editing computers to get started setting up payroll, that would be great too." Mandy stood up as she nodded, then stepped over to the machine Jack usually sat at to edit his vlogs. I turned to Jack and Robin, joining their quiet conversation when I saw Mandy was all settled and fully logged in. I helped the two men zero in on the last of the contract negotiations and smiled as Robin signed his contract with us as well. "Welcome on board Robin! I hope you'll enjoy working with Jack and I, and to some extent Mark and his team. Now, I have few questions for you, since you've officially signed on with Jack. First, how long are you going to be able to stay to get started?"

Robin smiled back. "Well, I had planned on about two weeks, but I could stay a little longer if you need. Nothing is too urgent at home, for the moment. I want to make sure everything is well in hand before I go home again, unless that's a problem for you guys."

I shook my head. "Nope. The longer you can stay, the better. Like we told you, we have no shortage of room, and we enjoy having people here. We have some travel plans for the end of November, but even those are still not firmed up yet. We're hoping to travel a little and have a quick family visit before December starts and travel gets too impossible for me. But it shouldn't effect the editing teams too much. Honestly, I trained the editors Jack and Mark are working with in about a week and I feel like you and Mark's team are going to be faster to train than that even. Especially if Adam joins you. I mean, he's already completely trained and knows Jack's style, so it's just going to be a matter of getting the two of you comfortable with each other, deciding who does what, and setting up the remote access to the server. I can do most of the server stuff in an afternoon. We can order all the editing software, new equipment, and hard drives this afternoon. Okay, second question. Do you want to come with us to conventions in the future? We would pay for your travel, back and forth, of course, but we don't want to put any pressure on you if you're not comfortable with that kind of thing."

"Um, actually, yeah. That sounds pretty good. How many conventions a year are we talking about?"

I sighed. "That varies. PAX East and West for sure, every year. Other than those, usually VidCon, and maybe one or two others. We have a lot going on in our lives but fan interaction is still really important to all three of us. Well, one final question, then you can do whatever until lunch, or just talk with Jack and I getting to know us better, or even just him. How often are you going to want to meet with Jack , both face to face, and over the Internet, to talk about work stuff? We should get a schedule set up for both of you as soon as we can, just so things don't slip though the cracks. As you can probably guess, things around here can be a bit crazy sometimes, and if we don't have a schedule for things, we can forget them or they can get away from us. Obviously, this is just a rough idea, nothing set in stone."

Robin laughed. "Yeah, I can imagine. I can't believe how calm things have been for the most part, with four toddlers of your own and babysitting another one, since I've been here. I think ideally, I'd like to plan to meet face to face with you both about every three months and have phone or Internet meetings every two or three days, at least for a quick chat, to make sure everything is staying on track. I guess we could go as long as twice weekly, but I'd much rather have three or four meetings a week."

Jack nodded. "We can do that. And I agree with ye on that too. I like ta stay on top of things, so tha more often we talk, tha better. I just don't want ta overwhelm ye or anything."

I smiled at both men. "Okay, let's plan on having three times a week video chats then. How about Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday? Those are usually a little less busy for us and the Internet is a little faster those days for some reason as well. Robin, I'll leave you and Jack to work out the times for the calls later. I think I'm going to roll over and see how Mark and his team are fairing."

Jack nodded and hugged me close for just a minute, then stood up and pushed my chair over next to Mark before he sat back down and resumed his chat with Robin. Mark immediately stopped talking and looked at me, worried. "Babe? What's up? Everything okay?"

I smiled. "Yeah, sweetheart, everything's great. Robin and Mandy are all signed on and I was just checking to see how things are going over here. Is everyone all ready to sign contracts? Does anyone have any questions I can help answer?"

Tyler answered first. "I'm all ready to sign on with you guys. Mark has been answering all the concerns and questions all three of us had, I think, and has made a few adjustments to the contracts for us."

Mark nodded, smiling at me as I looked back over at him. "Mostly we needed to adjust Ethan's contract a little to make it easier for him to schedule so he can still work on his own YouTube stuff."

I smiled at Ethan. "Of course. Like I said earlier, we want this to be a good working relationship, not to take over your lives completely. My channel started after I meet the guys and they has grown a lot. Obviously, the shared channel did too, since it's family vlogs and videos with all three of us and the girls, or some combination of all of us."

Ethan grinned. "Well, I just wanted to make sure things were clear before I signed the contract and maybe even spelled out fully. I have to protect myself here too."

I nodded. "Of course. Now, if none of you have any questions and are ready, you can all sign the contracts this morning. Then this afternoon, I'll get everyone access to our personal server, order you new equipment and software, and have all of you start the hiring paperwork. Robin is going to meet with Jack to go over timelines and possibly edit a video or two with Adam, if he can swing by. Mark, you can do the same with your team here. Mandy is going to get started on setting up payroll and getting the books set up for us." I yawned. "I'm going to work from the living room and quite probably take a nap too. I'm kind of tired today."

Mark leaned close and wrapped his arm around me. "Of course you are, babe. You're doing more than one person's job, still, and the pregnancy is draining. Plus you aren't sleeping right and you're not eating much at a time because of the babies. You need to rest more. No one is going to be upset if you just nap the afternoon away. Jack and I can order the computers and stuff this evening if you don't get around to it. The server access can wait a few days, if it has to. After all, Jack and I can access our files and can just work directly with our editors until things are set up." Mark pressed a gentle kiss onto my cheek. "Really, sweetheart, you should be resting now."

I crossed my arms and made a face at Mark. "I know what I can handle, Mark. Stop pushing me to rest. I'm okay, really. But I will make this afternoon a lighter workload, okay?" Mark nodded, looking a little sad. I sighed. "I know you mean well, but really, I know what I can and can't do better than you right now. Let me do what I can, while I can. Soon enough I won;t be able to do much but lay around and be pregnant. You and Jack will have your hands full then, between taking care of me and helping the girls with things. Don't forget, Ma and Pa are planning on heading home before too much longer too." I kissed Mark's forehead and brushed some stray hair out of his face. "You still need to take it easy too, because of your injuries, especially your ribs."

Mark looked down. "I know. It just seems like you're doing too much and I'm not doing enough. This is really hard."

I chuckled softly. "I know. It's how I felt about being pregnant last time and am starting to feel now. Trapped in a body that can't do what I need to do to feel useful and what I'm used to doing. Now, you focus on getting things with your team all squared away. I'm going to slip out and call Adam to come over this afternoon and Danica. Danica should meet everyone and be kept in the loop too. After I make those calls, I'm going to go see about lunch. See you in a little bit."

Mark nodded and let me go, turning back to Ethan, Kathryn, and Tyler with a small smile of apology on his face. All three of them waved it off before he could say anything and started working on finalizing and signing contracts. I sighed and stepped out of the room, going over to the couch to sit and call Adam and Danica. I got in touch with both of them and explained what was going on, asking them both to come over for the afternoon, which, fortunately, they both agreed to and were able to manage. After I got off the second call, I leaned back on the couch, mentally gathering myself to go fix lunch, closing my eyes to just rest for few minutes. I didn't mean to fall asleep, but that's exactly what happened. I woke up, an unknown amount of time later, to see the girls all cuddled into me, also sound asleep, my silver blanket tucked in around all of us, Jack sitting on the floor by my feet, his head resting on my knee, a smile on his face as he watched all of us sleeping. I blinked, trying to figure out what was going on, to clear the sleep from my eyes. "Hey love. How are ye feeling now? Can ye manage some lunch? Ma fixed everyone leftovers, but we didn't want ta disturb ye, so we all just let ye sleep. After tha girls ate, they climbed up next ta ye and fell asleep too. Jacob was there for a bit as well, but he toddled off ta tha playroom a few minutes ago. Pa's in there, with tha dogs, but I think Jacob's headed for tha sleeping bags again. He wanted his teddy bear."

I yawned. "Sorry to fall asleep like that. I didn't mean to, honestly. At least I got the phone calls I needed to make done first." I shifted slightly, taking care not to dislodge any of the sleeping bodies surrounding me. I smiled at the girls. "They all look so sweet like this. I'm glad they decided to come snuggle me. As for food, eh. I guess I could eat a little. I'm not really hungry at the moment though. Mostly, I'm still sleepy. Thank you for watching over all of us, Sean. I know you probably need to go back in and meet with Robin, though."

Jack shook his head. "Nope. I gave him my last three videos ta edit, just ta see what he does with them without me watching, and told him where I'd be. Ye and tha girls get all my attention for a bit. Honestly, tha whole point of hiring people is so we can have more time for other things, and I want ta see what Robin can do. Did ye get in contact with Adam?" I nodded. "Then he and Robin can work together later too. Adam knows how I like my editing done well enough." Sammi shifted in her sleep and whimpered softly, drawing both our attention. Jack sighed and stood up, then lifted her gently in his arms and sat down, cuddling next to me, settling Sammi in his lap, leaning on me. He moved the blanket a little, covering her back up and getting under it himself. Sammi immediately sighed in her sleep and smiled cuddling closer to both of us. I smiled again and stroked a hand down her hair. Jack chuckled and leaned over, kissing me gently. "Well, love, if ye aren't going ta eat right now, ye can just cuddle back down with tha girls, lean on me, and go back ta sleep. Ye need more sleep than ye've been getting, clearly. I know tha babies are making it hard ta sleep for ye. How about if I rub yer belly and sing ta them for a bit, hmm?"

I yawned again and nodded, immediately leaning into Jack's side. He sighed happily, his hands seeking out the baby bump under the blanket and rubbing a soothing pattern there. I closed my eyes again as he started softly singing a lullaby. I was back asleep before he finished the first verse. I didn't wake back up for some time, but when I did, it was to te sound of the doorbell. I opened my eyes again and smiled. The girls were gone, and it sounded like they were all awake in the playroom, but Jack was sound asleep, curled into my side. Mark was out of the wheelchair, sitting next to me on my other side, using his laptop, working on ordering computer equipment, it looked like. He smiled when he saw my eyes open and leaned over, stealing a quick kiss. "Hey pretty lady. I'm glad to see you resting, finally. And I see you got Jack to take a short break too. Tyler gathered everybody's paperwork and is filing it, scanning copies to store on the server and making a folder of the hard copies, and Ethan and Kathryn are editing a few videos I had waiting. Mandy got the payroll stuff started. And the girls and Jacob are off in the playroom, with Ma and Pa. When I came out a little while ago with Tyler, I couldn't resist coming over to sit with you two after I used the bathroom, so Tyler helped me into the seat here. I'm just working on ordering Ethan, Kathryn, and Tyler computers, hard drives, and the software they need. Should I go ahead and order stuff for Mandy and Robin too?"

I smiled and nodded. "Yes please. And for Adam. Even if he doesn't want to stay as Jack's second editor, I'm going to offer him a job as my editor. I think I need one now, much as I hate to admit it. If he doesn't want the job, I'll start looking for someone else soon. I think that must be Danica and Adam now." I turned my head too look, having heard Pa answer the door and talk to whomever was there. I was right, Danica and Adam were both there. Pa was chatting with them, just inside the doorway, a friendly conversation, but all three of them caught my eye as I turned and they headed over my way.

Danica got here first and blinked at me. "Wow. I know I haven't seen you in a couple of weeks, but you've gotten a lot bigger since then. Jeez. How are you doing boss?"

I chuckled. "I'm okay. Mostly cold, achy and tired lately, but then again, it could be worse. Thanks for coming over. I want you to meet our new team, or well, I guess teams, of editors. And I want you kept in the loop for what's going on with us, especially since you'll be working with me still, even if we have to leave the country." Jack shifted in his sleep, drawing my attention fr a minute. I sighed. "Poor Jack. He's so overstressed it's ridiculous. I've been trying to help him, but I know it's not enough."

Danica pulled the beanbag chair over and sat down, smiling. "Hey, you do a lot for Mark and Jack. Plus, you're super pregnant right now. Come on, even a superhuman like you can only do so much. Cut your self some slack." I smiled a little ruefully. Mark chuckled and kissed my cheek. "Hi Mark. Wasn't trying to ignore you there."

Mark smiled at Danica. "Hello. I know that. I was just thinking if you manage to convince her she doesn't have to feel guilty for missing a few things here and there, it will be a miracle and more than any of us have managed."

I gave him a sour look. "Hey, I'm delegating things. I just feel bad that you're hurt and Jack's so stressed. I worry about the two of you."

Mark smiled sheepishly. "I know babe. We both know that, really. But you have to focus on you some too." I sighed. He relented and kissed me softly. "Ypu're doing great, this wasn't a criticism, I just meant you should make sure you take care of yourself too. And you can't control everything, much as you try."

Danica chuckled again. Adam grinned at me from the seat he had pulled over. Pa just laughed. "Mark's right lass. Not everything is in yer control. Now, I'm headed back in ta watch those wild toddlers ye call yer daughters and Felix's son. He's a right handful. Almost as bad as Sammi and Dani." He shook his head, still smiling.

"Ah, but you love them anyway, no matter how wild they are. And actually, I think, for the age all of them are, they are pretty well behaved, if somewhat over energetic. I wonder where on earth they could get all they energy from?"

Everyone started laughing, especially when they saw my bland expression, knowing I was being sarcastic. I had to gently shush them so they didn't wake Jack back up. Pa was still chuckling as he walked back over to the playroom. Adam shook his head at me, his amusement still clear on his face. "So boss, why am I here? I heard you telling Danica you want her to meet some people, but what does that have to do with me? Am I in trouble?"

I smiled gently at him and shook my head. "Nope. Actually, I wanted to talk abut a few things. Adam, are you happy at the show? I know Jack was afraid you might be ready to move on, and we really don't want to lose you, but if you've had another job offer, or are unhappy, please tell me."

Adam looked down and blushed. "Um... Well, not exactly. I really don't like being in charge, that's all. And I did mention to Jack that I might start looking for another job, but that's mainly because I was worried about what would happen if he left the show. I really like working for you and Jack. The show, not so much. You're the ones who actually care, and who make sure I'm getting treated fairly. When you aren't there, sometimes things go to shit. A few of the TV show writers have been giving me a hard time for a while. It's uncomfortable for me, is all."

I sat up a little straighter. "Adam, you should have mentioned it sooner. Okay, well, that explains more than it doesn't I guess. Is anyone else being treated that way?"

Adam looked down and shook his head. "No. But then again, no one else is openly bi in the editing department. A couple of the writers hit on me and I wasn't interested, so I turned them down gently, but they took it badly. It's just really uncomfortable to work with them, but I need the job."

I reached a hand over and set it on his knee. "Adam, you could have come to me and told me. I really do understand that kind of behavior. I've had it happen to me enough, before now. Please, before you leave the house today, tell me who. We have to make sure this doesn't keep happening. You might not be the only person they're bullying." Adam kept looking at the floor. I caught Danica's eye. She looked _PISSED_. I could hardly blame her. We weren't directly in charge of the TV show writers team, but we worked closely with them and did have a say in the hiring and firing process. And both Danica and I had a zero tolerance policy for bullying and any kind of harassment, especially when it came to sexuality or gender identity, for obvious reasons. I sighed. "Adam, please, stop blaming yourself. This isn't you fault, and I can see you think it is. I guess this will make the offer we have for you seem even better though. Adam, Jack and I have been talking, a lot actually, about wanting to keep you on as an editor, even if we both end up leaving the TV show. We have two possible offers to make you. Do you want to hear what they are?"

Adam looked up, surprised. "Um, yeah. That would be good. I mean, you really don't have to go out of your way to do anything for me. You both have already done a lot, in the past."

I felt Jack shift next to me, clearly coming awake. I looked over at him with a smile. Jack grinned back as he opened his eyes. "Oh, wow. This is nice. I get ta wake up surrounded by some of my favorite people, ta my gorgeous woman's smile. Hey sexy. Oh, and Adam, we want ta help ye. Ye've been an awesome editor. We both really want ye ta keep working with us."

I blushed at little at Jack's calling me gorgeous and sexy, then turned back to Adam. "Jack's right, we do want to keep you. We have started our own company, hiring an editing team for Mark, an editor for Jack, a manager, and some to do the books for us. We want to see if you would be willing to work for us as well, either as Jack's second editor, working with Robin Torkar, who will be in charge of the editing, primarily, meaning you would be under his orders, or as an editor for my stuff, including the family channel." I looked at both Jack and Mark. "You don't have to say yes, or even decide today, but we wanted to extend the offer and let you meet Robin, who's here now, so you could make an informed decision."

Adam blinked, looking shocked. "You- you want me to stay as Jack's editor and not be in charge? Or edit for you, [Y/N]? But..." He shook his head, still looking stunned. "But you never use an editor. You ALWAYS edit all your own stuff. I mean, are the three of you just creating an extra job for me?"

I laughed, very quietly. "Not entirely. I mean, technically, everyone who we're hiring, we're creating a job for, because we're just starting the company and all, but I need more help. Honestly, I'm trying to think ahead, to when I'll be too pregnant to do things for myself and too exhausted, caring for twelve kids under three, in just a few months. If I have the energy to record, there's no way in hell I'm going to be able to take the time to edit things. And the fans are going to want to see as much of the girls and the new babies as we can stand to show them, which is what the new shared channel is all about. I think the best case scenario, for me anyway, would be if you agreed to sign on today with us, helped Robin get used to editing Jack's videos, and then switched over to be my editor full time in a few weeks or a month. You could help Robin when he has a big project, or cover while he goes on vacation, especially if things on my channels are slow or I'm feeling up to editing more and we know ahead Robin's going to need the help. But really any way you feel comfortable working with us would be great."

Adam grinned hugely. "That sounds amazing. To tell the truth, you are who I would rather edit for anyway. I mean, I love editing, and have for a long time, but sometimes Jack's voice gives me a headache."

Jack laughed. "Laddie, sometimes I give myself a headache. Ye don't need ta apologize for admitting that."

Adam smiled at Jack. "I feel bad saying that though. You're great to work with. And you're a really, really nice guy."

I smiled at Adam and shook my head. "Apparently, I'm the only person Jack's even met who never finds his voice annoying. I can sit and listen to it for hours and hours and still not be tired of it, regardless of how loud he gets." I hummed a little happy noise and turned to Jack, smiling a little brighter, just for him. "I find his voice sexy and soothing, not annoying. Even when he tries to be."

Jack laughed, then leaned over and pulled me closer, kissing me softly. "I still can't completely believe ye on that one, love. But ye tell me so often..."

I kissed him back. "Believe it, Sean. You and Mark both have extremely sexy, soothing voices. I'm really lucky."

Jack just shook his head, still holding me close, and shifted both of us into a more comfortable position on the couch. Adam was still smiling, watching us. "You two are really cute together, you know. It's been a really good experience for me, seeing all three of you work together and so clearly love each other, and still stay professional most of the time. And as for the job offer, yes, I absolutely will sign on with you. I don't even need to see the offer you're going to make me. I know you guys wouldn't skimp or try to cheat me. What do I need to do?"

I laughed again. "I have a contract we will need to adjust a little. Tyler is our office manager, and Mark's manager specifically, for other things. He's also the one who's going to coordinate our schedules from here on out, particularly public appearances, for all three of us. Have you met him already? Danica have you?"

Both of them shook thier head. I nodded. Mark grinned and turned his head toward the office. "YO! TYLER!" 

I winced. "Mark, you don't need to shout. I could have walked over there in a minute."

Tyler came out of the office, not at a run, but at a fast walk and stopped short when he saw new faces. "Um, hello."

I smiled at him. "Tyler, this is Danica Whalen, my assistant, the one I told you about before. Danica, this is Tyler Scheid, a long time friend of Mark's. He's been staying out here with us since right around the time Mark hurt himself. Tyler, this is Adam Colby, the man who's been working at the TV show as Jack's editor for the past couple of years now. Adam, Tyler. Adam need to fill out the hiring paperwork too, Tyler. Can you help him? I have a copy of the contract for him on my computer, so if you want to go over it with him, just let me know any changes that need made. And we should introduce Adam and Danica to everybosy else. I mean, you both already know Mandy, Bob's wife, but everyone else will need introductions. Tyler, can you call everyone out? Thanks man."

Tyler grinned. "Yeah. You just stay there and keep Jack and Mark in line. It looks like you all are finally resting like you're supposed to be."

I rolled my eyes, drawing laughs from Danica, Adam, and Tyler, as he headed back into the office. He came back a minute later followed by the rest of our new employees. I introduced everyone around. When I got to Robin, Adam smiled and waved. The two of them started talking immediately after the introductions were finished, heading over to a quiet corner to compare notes and share information. I smiled. It looked like they were going to get along great. Danica stayed and helped Tuler get all the scheduling we already had arranged on a spreadsheet, so he could easily access it and see what was going on. She and he got into a long discussion about various public appearances we had made in the past and what types of things we liked to do, for future reference. Everyone else settled in, working quietly on their various projects. I napped off and on all afternoon. Jack either cuddled me close, napping with me, or worked on social media from his phone, answering all sorts of questions and reblogging things on Tumblr. Mark got the electronics we needed ordered and surfed the web, alternating between just relaxing quietly with Jack and I and working on his own social media. 

At six o'clock, the doorbell rang again. Mandy went over and answered the door, waving Jack and I back in place. It was Bob, Wade, Molly, Felix, and Marzia, with takeout food for dinner. I smiled and welcomed them, still wrapped in my blanket and Jack's arms. They all came in, got settled in the living room, and were smiling watching Jack playing with the babies and snuggle me. A few minutes after they got settled, Sammi and Jacob came skipping out of the playroom holding hands. They both stopped when they saw all of us, then ran over squealing with delight at seeing the extra aunts and uncles visiting (and in Jacob's case, his mommy and daddy). Dani, Tiana, and Stephanie soon followed, to see what the noise was about. Wade, Bob, and Molly were soon snuggling one of the girls, with Sammi and Jacob sitting side by side, still holding hands, between Felix and Marzia. Marzia was smiling about it, but Felix kept eyeing them and frowning. I was fighting off the giggles, knowing why he was grumpy, having seen Jack have almost the same reaction. Ma and Pa came out of the playroom not long after, to see what the girls and Jacob were doing and smiled, seeing everyone relaxing together. Ma came over and set dinner out for everyone, dishing plates and handing them around, calling everyone out of the office to come eat with us. Dinner was a lot of fun, a loud, family activity, and by the end of the meal, all five kids were almost asleep. I noticed and told them if they wanted a bedtime story, to go find a book they could all agree on and I would read to them. Sammi and Jacob nodded, leading the pack back to the playroom just long enough to find Jack and the beanstalk. I laughed to myself when I saw it, especially when it elicited a groan from Jack. The girls all climbed into my lap, or Jack's and Mark's, but Jacob looked nervous. I told him it was okay, if he wanted to he could sit with me, or he could sit with his mommy and daddy. He finally decided to snuggle me, sitting next to Sammi again. I started the story once evryone was settled, and within ten minutes all five toddlers were sound asleep. Felix shook his head at me. "I'll never know how you manage that, [Y/N]. Marzia and I can read Jacob book after book and he won't go to sleep, but you seem to have the magic touch."

I just smiled. "Thank Felix. Pa, Ma, Felix, Marzia? Do you mind carrying the kids into the playroom and tucking the in? Jack, can you carry Dani, since she's in your lap already? Thanks sweetie." Marzia came over and lifted Jacob up, hugging him close as she carried him off to bed. Felix took Sammi. Pa and Ma grabbed Ti and Steph, leaving Mark and I cuddled together, all the kids safely being bedded down for the night in their sleeping bags. Jack came back first and instantly reclaimed his spot next to me, curling up almost in my lap, his hands going back to my baby bump right away. He and Mark both spent the rest of the evening alternating between talking to the rest of the room and talking quietly to the babies, rubbing my belly. Everyone talked quietly for a while, but before long, Wade and Molly excused themselves, deciding to head home. Marzia and Felix were next. Danica left at almost the same time. Adam, Ethan, Tyler, Kathryn, and Robin all headed over to the guest house, talking about editing, to play card for a while before they went to bed as well. I was happy to see Adam getting along so well with the new team. Bob and Mandy stayed a bit later, repeated thanking us for hiring Mandy. About half an hour before they left, Mandy admitted to us another reason this job was more perfect than she could have hoped for. She and Bob were buying a house, so both the fact that the job was flexible and part time, and the fact that she would be earning a good salary now, on top of Bob's income, were more than welcome. In fact, Mandy cried a little as she confessed this to us. We were very happy for the two for them, and thrilled that things worked out so well. When we finally said goodnight to them, I was exhausted again. Jack helped Mark into bed first, leaving me on the couch, where I promised to stay until he came back for me. I was so tired in fact, I hadn't argued at all, but just closed my eyes to wait. I was almost asleep when I felt Jack gently pick me up and carry me off to bed. I smiled and snuggled into Jack's chest as he carried me. "Mmm. You smell good Sean. I'm so tired though. Wanna sleep, but wanna make you feel good too."

Jack chuckled. "Love, ye do make me feel good, all tha time. Ye need yer rest tonight though. Just help me get yer clothes off and cuddle up with Mark and I. Ye can sleep as soon as we get ye settled. None of us are really awake enough for anything else tonight."

I nodded. Jack set me down and I helped him take my dress off carefully. He worked on getting my leggings off while I unhooked my bra. In just a minute, I went from fully dressed to naked, then Jack slid my nightgown over my head, lifted me back up, and carried me to the middle of the bed, tucking me into Mark's side and climbing in after me. I stayed awake just long enough to give both men quick kisses and feel them cuddle me close before sleep ambushed me once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Argh, I'm so frustrated! I had this chapter all written and my computer crashed, so I lost more than half the chapter, twice. So between that and the health issues I've been struggling with for the last month, that's why this is so late. Oh, and I promise, next chapter will be baby gender reveals... :) And yes, I already know what I'm planning for that, and who fathered which babies. But no hints or early reveals. XD
> 
> I set up a Patreon! Feel free to check it out (or not, no pressure). I think I set up some really sweet rewards, but let me know what y'all think! https://www.patreon.com/queengeekrose


	28. Legal Matters and Baby Pictures

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An eventful Friday...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Words in Irish are in _**Bold Italics**_.
> 
> Also, long chapter is very, very long.

Jack was awake before me the next morning, something that was a little rare lately, but I wasn't completely surprised. He was sitting on the bed, his feet pulled up, sitting by his pillows, staring intently at his phone screen. He was frowning heavily and I could feel the waves of stress radiating off him, like imaginary heat lines in cartoons. He hadn't noticed I was awake yet either, which did surprise me. Lately, Mark and Jack seemed almost hyper-aware of whether I was asleep or awake and had been watching me closely, awake or asleep, whenever they had a free moment. I reached a hand up to Jack's cheek and stroked his beard. "Hey handsome. Have you been up long? I'm worried about my overstressed hubby, you know."

Jack looked over at me, smiling a little. "Mornin' love. I didn't notice ye wake up. How are ye feeling?"

I smiled and scooted around on the bed, dragging myself closer to cuddle against him more. "Meh. Not terrible, but a bit achy already. But really I'm mostly worried about you, Seán. You tried to dodge my question. Did you get any sleep at all?" I hugged him closer and rested my head on his chest, leaning around to look up into his face, laying across his body. 

Jack smiled down at me. "Ye're too adorable for words, love. I'm okay, I swear. I did manage ta get a little sleep, but not much. I figured if I wasn't going ta sleep anyway, I might as well focus on social media."

I rubbed my hand along his chest and pressed a few kisses next to where I was rubbing, just hoping to help him calm down a little. "Just remember, we got this babe. I'm not letting them take you away from me that easily. In fact, I have so many ideas and plans still, even if things aren't resolved today. Don't let this get to you, please. I need you to stay as strong as you can, for the babies, Mark, the girls, and me. We all need you." I looked up and met his eyes again with a tender smile on my lips. "You're really important to all of us. So you need to take care of yourself too, and let me help you take care of things. Trust me. If they can still deport you after all the plans I've made, I'll take on the whole damn government to keep you, if I have to."

Jack's smile was a lot brighter after I said that and he pulled me up into a proper kiss, just holding me close afterward. "Mm. I believe ye. Ye have tha look in yer eyes that bodes ill for anyone who crosses ye. I'm just glad ye aren't ready ta level it at any of us." I grinned and kissed him again, shaking my head. Jack chuckled. "Yeah, definitely glad about that. Now, don't forget, ye need ta stay calm too."

I nodded and hummed an appreciative noise when Jack started rubbing my back, closing my eyes at the feeling. "Hmm, that feels really good. How do you and Mark always find the sore spots so fast?" I whimpered a little as he put just enough pressure to break up the muscle knot and release the painful cramp in the spot he was working on. 

Jack chuckled again. "We're just that good, love. Just like ye manage ta do tha same for us. Now, ye just relax and let yer husband take yer mind off things, okay?"

I opened one eye with a smile. "I see how it is. You just want me to help you release some stress and have some fun." Jack grinned and shook his head. I reached a hand back up and stroked his cheek. "It's okay, Seán. I would love to get a little frisky with you this morning, my only concern is we won't have much time. Don't forget, Felix and Marzia are coming over this morning to pick the kids up to wrangle them all to daycare then they are going in to the show early, to help support you." 

Jack smiled at me and rubbed our noses together. "Lass, that really wasn't what I meant. I mean, I'd love too, if we had time, but I'm not really in tha mood, at tha moment, for sex. I just meant I wanted ye ta relax and enjoy tha massage without stressing."

I winked at him, then giggled when both of us jumped slightly as Mark chuckled next to us. Mark's voice was still sleep roughened, making it even deeper than usual, and so sexy it made Jack and I share a look. "You two are certainly up early. And Jack, why would our lovely [Y/N] possibly think you were suggesting sex, hmm? I mean, apart from the fact we've spent as much free time as we could the last two weeks fucking each other into the mattress in here, and she currently very pregnant with our babies, again."

I grinned over my shoulder at him. "Hush, Mark. Sorry we woke you up. I was just worried about how stressed Jack was this morning, so we were chatting a little." I looked back up at Jack. "Hey, hubby mine, don't forget, we have the whole night to ourselves, after the Halloween party tonight. Felix and Marzia are taking the girls and watching them until we go over for Trick or Treating in the afternoon tomorrow, then they have the sitter for all the kids, including Katie, until the next morning. And Marzia already said they would drop the girls off in the afternoon on Sunday. She said she wants to give us a chance to rest a little, without the kids, before all hell breaks loose in our lives again." I smiled brightly. "That means we actually have two nights, uninterrupted, of adult time, if we want it. And I have the feeling you are definitely going to want it, even if things are already all resolved." 

Jack's eyebrows shot up. "Really? I get ye and Mark all ta myself for two nights in a row?"

Mark chuckled. "Wow. That was some fortuitous timing, babe."

I laughed. "No, that was planning and plotting with our friends on my part. Why do you think I agreed to have Jacob stay three nights in a row? And arranged Ma and Pa to be the sitter for the kids, and get paid, I might add, by Arin, Suzy, Felix, and Marzia. I offered to pay them too, but they insisted they would have watched all the kids for free, if our friends hadn't insisted. Ma told me they feel a little guilty, letting us pay for everything since they've been out here already, but I reassured her that having the help dealing with everything has been a bigger thing for us than chipping in money to pay for groceries or food." I wrapped both arms around Jack's shoulders and rested my head on his shoulders now. "Is there anything we can say that might convince them we really don't mind?"

Jack looked into my face with a big smile. "Probably not, love. Ye know how they are."

Mark reached his good hand up and rubbed along my lower back. "Yeah. They're just as stubborn as Jack. And your distraction techniques for him won't work on them." I started giggling, picturing the response. Jack was blushing brightly and making a face.

"Good god, Mark, why tha hell did ye need ta give me **that** mental image. Can ye even imagine?" Jack shuddered in my arms, clearly struggling to rid himself of that idea.

I laughed out loud. "Yes, yes I can. Just like I can imagine either of the two of you doing that to my mother. Or if it worked on Momiplier or Dee. I have more ways to distract than just giving sexy looks though, Mark. You should know that by now. But you did properly horrify poor Seán."

Jack chuckled. "Ye're being a bit of a shit, love. But thank ye for sticking up for me." Jack wrapped his arms around me again, his hands gently resting on my stomach. He grinned hugely when he felt the babies moving around. "Well, well. These beans are certainly squirming this mornin'. Are ye hungry lass?"

I sighed and shook my head. "Not really. And this is the calmest they have been except when you two manage to get them to sleep or I'm exceptionally relaxed lately. It's making it hard to sleep. At least they aren't kicking right now, they're just rolling and at least one of them is moving in a way that makes me think they might have the hiccups. I remember it from the girls." I looked at my tummy and sighed. "I want to see these little ones safe and happy, but I kind of hate this part of being pregnant, where I'm too big to move and everything hurts all the time and I can't do anything easily anymore."

Mark sat up next to us and pressed a gentle kiss into my shoulder. "We know, sweetheart. It's one of the reasons Jack and I are so worried about you. You're being a trooper, but this isn't easy, especially for you. Are you in a lot of pain this morning? Is it your back?"

I sighed again. "Mostly my back. My legs are sore today too, and I haven't even stood up yet. Seán already helped me a bunch, massaging out the worst of the knots in my lower back, before you said anything Mark, but it's going to be a rough day. I know part of my problem is being too tense, and that should be better once I know what we can do about Jack's VISA status, but until then, I'm just holding myself too stiffly."

Jack stroked a hand along my baby bump. "I know, [Y/N]. Ye've been every bit as stressed about this as I have. Now, I think ye are just going ta have ta use tha wheelchair I got for ye yesterday. I did manage ta slip out and get one, while ye were napping, in tha afternoon. And we'll see if Dr. Sara has any recommendations ta help ye feel less pain too. Maybe it will be something easy, like us giving ye more back and leg rubs. I dunno really."

I nodded. "Yeah, maybe. Now, before we all go get the kids ready and fed so Marzia and Felix can get them to daycare, I need to talk to both of you. Something occurred to me last night, one of the times I woke up because the babies were kicking me. We're probably going to have to hand our marriage license over to the lawyers, at least to copy to the file, Seán. I think we need to tell our friends this morning, before the meeting with legal, and all our families tonight. Honestly, I feel kind of guilty about lying about it, or not telling them anyway, these last few days. I know it's only been a little while, and we've been really busy and all, but it still feels like a mistake to wait. I think everyone is going to understand, or I hope they will."

Jack and Mark both hugged me, and each other by extension. "Babe, I think you're right. But how can we get everyone together to tell them before the meeting?"

I smiled crookedly. "Didn't you hear Bob and Wade talking about it last night, Mark? Everyone is going to show up by nine at the office, to show their support for Jack. Well, for all three of us really, but mostly to support Jack. Felix even asked if he and Marzia could sit in on the meeting. I think they are planning on leaving the show with us, if it comes to that. Neither one has said anything definite, but it's just a gut feeling I have, and I trust it." I looked into Mark's face, then Jack's again. "I think they might want to move close to us too, if we do set up house somewhere outside the US. I've heard Felix mention the UK a few times, after he found out they had offered us citizenship papers. But I don't think I was meant to overhear that, so I haven't brought it up, even to the two of you, until now. You know how much of a secret softy he is, and how closely he regards your friendship, Jack. I don't want to embarrass him, but don't be too shocked if it comes up, okay?"

Jack blinked, rapidly, looking stunned and, from what I could see, fighting back emotions. "Why would he-? I mean, really? He'd do that, for me?"

I stroked my hand down his cheek again. "Yes, sweetie. Really. He thinks of you like a brother more than anything, I think. And we all have more pull than anyone has any idea about, I suspect, between the three of us and our group of friends. But I just wanted to run this by the two of you, so you weren't surprised when I bring it up in my office later. We've all had enough surprises for a little while, I think."

Mark nodded and kissed my shoulder again. "I agree. No more surprises, at least for a while, if we can avoid them. Now, relax baby and let Jackaboy and I take care of you, okay? You really need to let us today. No arguments please."

I sighed and leaned away from Jack to embrace Mark instead. "I'm not arguing with you, Mark. I'm going to take it very easy and let the two of you do as much as you can. In fact, I'm going to let our friends help as much as they are willing to as well. But that means we need to ask one of them to help you out today, including coming to the appointment with Dr. Sara. Who should we ask?" I leaned back against Jack, who was still holding on to me, seemingly reluctant to let me go at all this morning. "Normally, I suggest Tyler, but I want him to stay here and keep working on the paperwork, helping the new editors get settled, and working on scheduling. We've been getting more requests for guest appearances, to talk about the engagement, my pregnancy, your health, and Jack's status in the US lately than ever. I'm just going to let Tyler handle all of them. Maybe we should film a short vlog about some of this stuff, or agree to a few interviews over teleconference."

Jack nodded. "Yeah, ye just let Tyler handle tha job we hired him for. Ye focus on tha things ye have ta do ta stay healthy, happy, and maybe, if ye have tha energy, a bit on Mark and I."

I chuckled. "Well, Seán, my darling husband of three days now, focusing on you two is a big part of what keeps me happy, and lately, healthy as well. You both take good care of me and are helping me get these little beans in my belly to settle down enough so I can do things like eat and sleep. Mark, I know you're frustrated you can't help Jack carry me around, but you're helping when you rub my back, my legs, my feet, my belly, or even just talking to the babies. Don't under estimate that, please. And Seán, please, don't forget to let our friends help you. I don't need you to hurt yourself or end up having your kidney problems come back because of all the stress, if we can avoid it. But right now, we all need to get up, get dressed, and get the kids ready to go for the day. Mark? Do you want a shower this morning? Jack?"

Both men looked at each other, a small smile on their faces. "Yes, love, we'll go get tha shower started. Ye wait here for me ta come get ye, okay?"

I shook my head and cuddled in closer against Jack's chest. "Nope. You guys go ahead and shower. I'm good. I don't feel up to a shower and besides, we all showered yesterday and washed our hair, so I'm just going to skip it this morning. I will stay here, curled up under tha blankets though, until you get back. But guys, take your time. It's early enough you don't have to rush." A cheeky grin spread across my face. "In fact, you can both enjoy a slow shower and some alone time, if you want. If I felt a little better, I'd join the two of you, but I'm just too achy to be in the mood at the moment. I think I might even need to take some Tylenol before long."

Jack looked at me, a sad expression flitting across his face for a minute. "Okay, love. We understand." He kissed me one more time, then scooted over to the edge of the bed. "Markimoo, can ye fix up a nest of pillows and blankets so I can lay her down ta rest while we're gone? Thanks."

Mark grinned and nodded while I cuddled Jack at the edge of the bed. He watched Mark, smiling softly, holding me close and stroking a soft hand down my back. Mark looked over at us and winked when he finished. "Okay, Jack. You can settle our gorgeous lady in there now." Jack nodded and settled me in the center of the pile, still smiling. As soon as he set me down, Mark leaned close and wrapped one of our super soft blankets around me, tucking me in and kissing me. "You just wait here and see if you can catch a few more minutes of sleep, babe. We promise to be fairly quick."

I chuckled and leaned back, scooting myself around into the most comfortable spot I could, enjoying the warmth. I smiled a slightly sleepy smile at the pair of men as Jack helped Mark into the wheelchair and into the bathroom. Then I closed my eyes, listening to the two of them, their hushed voices carrying to my ears through the open door. After the water turned on, I heard other familiar sounds, whimpers and sexy little whines, moans and grunts, and the sound of wet flesh, making me grin into the pillows, happy the two of them seemed to be having a good time, somewhat aroused just hearing their happy noises, and more than a little amused that they weren't trying very hard to stay quiet. I knew from the way Jack had left the door open, they were putting on a little bit of a sound 'show' for me, since I didn't feel up to joining them. It was sweet, sexy, and a bit frustrating all the same, especially since I really wanted to be in there with them, making the two of them feel good, and getting some relief from my own overly excited hormones and libido, but I knew it would be better for me to wait until this evening, by when, hopefully, enough of my stress would be gone that I could properly relax and focus. After a surprising short time, and the sounds of both my guys making each other completely happy, the sounds of the shower changed from sex to actual washing, and I let my mind wander, drifting to all the things we had to do today, what we needed to do for tomorrow, and the possible campaign I would launch to get the Internet mobilized to make sure we could stay together. I was so focused on these thoughts, I failed to notice the water turn off or the sounds of Jack and Mark drying off and coming back into the bedroom. Jack's chuckle and deeply amused, hushed voice brought me back to reality. "Jeez Mark, I think we lost her interest somehow. Love? Are ye still awake, or did ye manage ta fall back asleep?" 

I turned my head out of the pillows and looked over at him. "I'm awake, Seán. Just thinking and planning while I waited for the two of you to come back. Did you boys have fun? It sounded like you did from out here, but then again, I couldn't see what you were doing to each other either, but I have my suspicions."

Both men grinned at me. Mark managed to climb out of the chair and hop over to the bed, then shimmy his way up to me, pressing a gentle kiss on my forehead. "Yeah, it was fun. We missed you though." When he settled in next to me, he moved the blankets off me, to make room for himself a little more, making me shiver and curl up into his warm presence a little more, drawing out a small laugh. "Hey, come here sweetheart. I'll keep you warm. I'm sorry I let the cooler air in under the blankets."

I looked into Mark's face for a few seconds, then down at the blankets. He was smiling, a soft loving smile, and looking at me with gentle eyes. I didn't say anything, just shivered a few more times in his arms and pulled the blankets back over myself where ever he wasn't holding me. I saw Jack watching out of the corner of my eye. "Love, ye best bundle up today, if ye are this cold already. It may be warm enough for Mark and I, but it is late October."

I grinned and snorted softly. "Seán, baby, it might be almost November, but it's LA. It's not likely to be colder than seventy degrees even in the middle of January. But I should probably wear pants and a long sweater today anyway. If it wasn't ultrasound day, I'd just wear a bunch of layers and a dress, but I don't want to have to deal with trying to untangle myself from that mess at the doctors office. Can you find me something warm, please?" Jack smiled and nodded, stepping away to gather clothes for all three of us. I closed my eyes again and leaned into Mark a little more, resting my head on his shoulder. I felt his hand creep down and stroke the babies, a gentle swirling motion that soothed them and made them shift a little away from my stomach and lungs, letting me breathe easier. We stayed like that for several moments until Jack came back over with clothes for both of us. He handed me mine and started helping Mark get dressed. I took a few seconds to smile appreciatively at the outfit Jack had chosen for me, super stretchy silver pants and a nearly knee-length sweater in dark sapphire blue with silver trim. I was nearly halfway dressed when I felt both men come over to where I was sitting and start to help me get dressed the rest of the way. Then Jack lifted Mark into the wheelchair and got him settled before coming back over to me and settling me in Mark's lap. I wasn't expecting it, so I squeaked, drawing out grins from the guys, but I soon was comfortable in Mark's arms while Jack pushed the wheelchair with both of us into the living room and approached the playroom to unleash the toddlers for breakfast. None of us heard any noise from behind the door before Jack opened it, so we weren't surprised to see all five kids still sound asleep, all of them curled up together in a heap of small bodies, three of the sleeping bags open and laying under all of them, the rest of the pillows, blankets, and sleeping bags on top of the small bodies. It brought smiles to the faces of Jack, Mark, and I. I stood up just long enough to step over to the couch, right behind the girls and Jacob. Jack raised an eyebrow at me. I held a finger up to my lips. "Shh. I'll watch the kids, guys. You go start breakfast. I can manage to get everybody up and we can wait here for you to come back and get me, Seán. The girls might be a little cranky if we just wake them up and try to make them eat without giving them a few minutes."

Mark made a face at me. "But why did you have to get up out of my lap? I was happy to help you stay warm and you felt good in my arms."

I smiled at him, shaking my head a little, amusement and love softening my eyes and expression. "Mark, I like snuggling you too, but it will be easier if you go with Jack now. You can either sit at the table and wait for breakfast, or help him get the food prepped. Then Jack can just come get me. Remember, he's got to get both of us around for a few days, at least until we find out if you need to stay in the wheelchair for a while longer or not. And nobody else is up yet to help him. I can sit by myself here while I get the kids up. I suspect they are going to want to cuddle me while they try to wake up anyway. You know how the girls are in the morning, if we have to wake them instead of them waking on their own. Now, don't whine please. I promise, unless you need to do something else, I will sit and snuggle with both you and Jack at work, until we have the meeting with legal. And I'll snuggle you in the car while Jack drives us." I met his eyes as he smiled at me. "That's better. I know you and I haven't been able to cuddle as much lately, mostly because of your arm, leg, and ribs, and I feel a little bad about it. I don't want you to feel like I've been pushing you away or ignoring you."

Mark's eyes got wider for a second. "Babe, no! I don't feel that way at all. I just miss being able to help you and hold you close all the time, that's all. We've been able to snuggle more the last few days, but it's been over a month since I could really wrap you up in my arms properly and just keep you close as I want. I miss that. I miss holding Jack too. And the girls. They have been really good about being gentle and careful, but I miss the wrestling and roughhousing with them almost as much as I miss the sweet hugs and cuddles when they wrap themselves tight around me. I know I'm still not totally healed, and it sucks, but I'm finally feeling almost back to normal, as far as my ribs go. None of you should feel guilty about not being able to be as close to me right now as I'd like. This is my own damn fault anyway." I could feel Mark's guilt and it made me sad, the smile sliding off my face as I worried my lip between my teeth, seeing the strain Mark was putting on himself, beating himself up over things.

Jack leaned over and kissed Mark on the cheek. "Not entirely, Mark. It was an accident. Ye didn't do it on purpose, we know that. We hate seeing ye in pain and miss ye too. But tha lass is right, as usual. We best go get tha food underway. Thank ye can help me mix up some batter for waffles? Or would ye prefer pancakes this mornin'?"

I smiled, watching both men relax into each other a little more, the tension that had been building in Mark yet again over his apparent guilt at the accident flowing back out at Jack's gentle touch. I could see Jack's stress levels lowering a little as well when Mark grabbed Jack's hand and gently rubbed his thumb over the knuckles, reassuringly squeezing the hand as well. I was enjoying watching the two men interacting so much today. When Jack gently brought Mark's hand up and kissed it, making Mark smile brighter, my smile turned a bit wistful, and a small sigh escaped me. Jack and Mark both looked at me then, very different expressions crossing their faces. Mark, seeing my expression, smirked at me. Jack just looked apologetic. "Hmm, Jack, babe, I think we're making someone jealous. Let's see if we can really make her jealous, shall we? Come give me some sugar."

Jack blushed and swatted a hand at Mark's uninjured side. "Mark! Behave yerself. What if tha kids woke up ta that?"

I hid a smile as I heard a small voice pipe up. "Woke up ta what Daddy? What was ye and Papa talkin' 'bout?" Dani yawned hugely as she tried to sit up, wriggling around to escape from the pile of bodies and bedding. "Mornin' Momma. What time 'sit? I's still sooo sweepy..."

I smiled at her. "Good morning, doodle bug. Why don't you see if you can manage to get untangled from everybody and those blankets and come say good morning to the babies? I could use a snuggle too, if you feel like it. Momma, Daddy, and Papa have to go in to work this morning, so we have to get you girls and Jacob up and ready to go. Uncle Felix and Aunt Marzia are going to take all of you in to the daycare center, then a little bit later, all of you are going to go visit Jacob's house and have a sleepover for a couple of nights. Momma, Papa, and Daddy will be over to see you during the day tomorrow, to go trick or treating with you, in costumes, but then Granny and Grampa are going to play with all five of you, and Katie, and maybe a few other friends, while we go out for the evening. Aunt Marzia and Uncle Felix want to spend some extra time with their favorite princesses though, so you get to spend another night at their house. They will bring you all home on Sunday, and then you can all find out whether you have baby brothers, baby sisters, or some of each coming. Momma will have pictures and maybe even a video to show you all."

Dani nodded, looking excited, and clapped once, then yawned again and managed to squirm her way out of the pile on the floor, coming over to me. "*Mwah!* Mornin' babies! I wove ye. What's trick o treatening? Is it scary?"

I smiled as she climbed up on the couch next to me and scooted over close, hugging me tight. I wrapped an arm around her small body. "Well, Trick or Treat is a Halloween tradition. You remember I was teaching you about Halloween, right?" Dani nodded. "Good. Well, on Halloween, people dress up in outfits sometimes and have special parties. We decorate pumpkins. Some things are spooky or scary, but it's mostly just fun. And trick or treating is when someone goes up to the door of a grown-up's house, carefully, and knocks or rings the doorbell, holds out a container and yells 'Trick or Treat!' The grown up will usually give you a piece of candy or a small toy, or even a few coins. It's really important you listen to Momma, Papa, and Daddy when we go though, you should your sisters' hands or one of ours, and only go to places with a light on and you know the grown-ups. Momma, Daddy, and Papa will still have to look over all the candy and things you girls get before you can have any, and we are going to make it last a long, long time by deciding when you can have things, except the toys and money. We will keep a special chart for all of you, with what you get, how much you have, and how much you have eaten over time. Does that sound good?"

Dani nodded eagerly. Tiana, who had been listening as she woke up, grinned at me. "Yea! Candy, candy, candy, candy!"

I laughed. "Yep. Did you know Momma was really good at making her candy last when she was little? I remember a lot of years, I managed to make the candy I got from Halloween last beyond Christmas. A few times I even made it stretch all the way until Easter. Then I made my Easter and Christmas candy last until just before Halloween again, so I had candy for almost a whole year, all to myself. It made Uncle Eddie and Uncle Darrell so mad and jealous, because they would just sit down and eat their candy right away until they made themselves sick."

Tiana grinned. "Momma, I would too. Me likes candy, wots. I would eat it aw at once."

I nodded to her. "That's why, at least for a few more years, Momma, Papa, and Daddy will help you girls manage it. It will mean you can have special treats more often, as long as you are good." I looked at the girls. "Just remember, bad behavior will still mean no treats, and if you act bad enough, Momma might just start taking the candy away from your chart." Dani and Tiana nodded, looking serious. "Good. You girls are usually my perfect little angels, so we won't have to worry about that. Now, Ti, baby, come say good morning to the babies. I'd like some more snuggles from my princesses too, if you don't mind."

Ti nodded at me, smiled big and crawled out of the pile. Stephanie woke up when Tiana accidentally stepped on her, but was fine after an apology, and she joined us on the couch, cuddling on my other side, away from Ti and Dani, who were wrapped around my left side, giggling about tonight and tomorrow. Stephanie was still mostly asleep, but she woke up again when one of the babies kicked out, bumping her nose, which was pressed firmly into my side as she tried to either sleep sitting up or wake up more. (I wasn't exactly sure which.) "Hey! No kicking me, babies. Ye shouldn't kick Momma so much either." With an exceptionally gentle hand, she patted the spot the babies had kicked at. The baby kicked out again, harder. Steph looked at me. "Momma?"

I sighed. "I think your sibling wants to play with you, sweetie. You're being really sweet by the way, honey. Now, do you want to see if you can play with the baby a little, or do you want me to try to calm them down so you can just cuddle me?"

Stephanie grinned. "Pway. How does I do that? And doesn't it hurt ye when tha babies kick like that?"

I smiled a little. "No honey. At least not mostly. The babies are still very small, so they can kick and punch me, but it doesn't hurt because they aren't very strong yet. I mean, they are strong for babies, but babies aren't very strong yet. Their muscles are just growing and starting to develop. Plus, the fluid around them, that helps keep them safe, helps keep Momma safe too. Sometimes the babies do accidentally hurt me, when they kick and punch, because of where they hit, or they just hit for too long, but most of the pain Momma's having right now is from how fast everyone is growing and all the vitamins and nutrients the babies are pulling from Momma's body to feed themselves." I stroked a hand down her hair, my other hand resting across the backs of Dani and Ti still. "Momma is going to need to stay sitting or laying down almost all the time now, until the babies are big enough to get born. That means Momma will have to be in a wheelchair, just like I was before you girls were born, or like Papa is now. It might make me a little more cranky than usual, and if it does, I'm sorry. Momma likes to be able to get up and do things for herself, so this is hard for me, but I'll try not to be too bad. Just be patient with me, okay? And to play with the babies, you just use gentle hands and rub or pat patterns, just like your daddies do. The babies like to follow the pressure, patterns, and movements. "

The girls all smiled and nodded, hugging me a little extra, except Sammi, who was still sleeping, curled in tight against Jacob. Both of them were hugging each other close in their sleep, arms interlocked as they sucked their thumbs, facing each other. I watched, also keeping an eye on Steph, Dani, and Ti. After a few minutes, Jack was back. "Hello, princesses! Did ye all sleep well?"

Three heads nodded as they abandoned me and swarmed over Jack, hugging his legs. He laughed. Dani held up her arms. "Daddy! Mornin'. Will ye carry in me for breakfast? I's SUUUUPER hungry!"

Jack chuckled and booped her nose. "Sure, little lass. Unless yer sisters mind?" Ti and Steph shook their heads. "Okay, up ye get!" Jack hoisted her up into his arms, holding her almost on his shoulder. She grinned and waved to me as Jack ushered the girls out. I shook my head fondly, then looked back at Sammi and Jacob. They were too adorable, and I felt the need to take a few pictures, so I pulled my hone out of my pocket and snapped several, sending one or two to Marzia and Felix. Then, with a small sigh, I reached down and gently shook both of them awake. 

"Come on, you two. Time to get up now. Sammi, Daddy made breakfast, with Papa's help. Jacob, your Mommy and Daddy are on their way over to come get you. You and the girls are spending some more time together, but not here for the next two days."

Jacob, still looking ninety percent asleep, sat up and rubbed his eyes, awesome bedhead making him look extremely cute and tousled. I snapped another picture. Sammi sat up, pouting. "No. I don't wanna get up. Too earwy."

I sighed. "Sammi, don't give me a hard time, please. Momma doesn't feel very good this morning and I have to go in to work with Daddy and Papa in a little while. You are going to daycare with your sisters and Jacob, no arguments, unless you don't want to go to the Halloween party tonight, have a sleepover at Jacob's house, and go trick or treating tomorrow, That means no candy, toys, or party food."

Sammi blinked. Then, still pouting crossed her arms. I gave her a steady look. She sighed and dramatically threw her arm over her forehead and flopped back down. "It's too eeeaaaarrrwy! I just wanna sleep!"

I snorted. "Stop being a drama princess. Now, scoot that butt into the kitchen. I think Daddy and Papa might have made either pancakes or waffles, but I'm not sure. Look, even Jacob is ready to go."

Jacob, smiling happily, stood up and toddled out of the room, heading for the kitchen, sure that Sammi would follow. I heard Jack's laugh just outside the door as he past Jacob. "Morning, little dude. Ye might want ta have yer Uncle Mark help ye fix that hair, buddy. It's pretty wild looking."

I heard Jacob giggle. "Daddy says I wook wike a wion in the morning. RWAR!!"

Jack laughed. "Yup. I think he's right. Now, Uncle Mark is in tha kitchen with tha rest of tha girls. I'm just going ta fetch yer Aunt [Y/N] and Sammi. See ye in a couple of minutes buddy." With that Jack stepped in the room, smiling at me. His expression turned to amusement when he saw the way Sammi was draped over over the tangled bedding. "Morning Samantha. Are ye giving Momma a hard time?" Jack leaned over and kissed me. "Thanks for waiting here, love. Everyone is all settle in tha kitchen, or will be as soon as I can get ye in there and Sammi and Jacob in their chairs. Can ye eat some pumpkin pancakes?"

I nodded and kissed Jack back, grabbing his hand and holding it while we both watched Sammi perk up at the mention of food. When she managed to get the bedding off her the rest of the way, she ran for the door, ignoring us. Jack chuckled again and I shook my head. "Oh she's going to be fun today. You should have seen her when I told her she needed to wake up. I actually had to accuse her of being a drama princess."

Jack scooped me up into his arms, and I leaned into the embrace, wrapping my arms around his shoulders, leaning my head onto his neck, and tucking my nose and face into the spot where his shoulder joined his neck. Jack smiled happily as he held me for a minute before he turned and started heading into the kitchen with me. Mark smiled at the two of us when we got into the room, then pulled my chair back so Jack could set me down. I gave Jack a fast kiss on the cheek as he stood back up, then leaned over into Mark's side, kissing his cheek as well. Mark smiled brighter and wrapped his good arm around me, holding me close, not letting me move away from him. "Hmm. You feel good here, next to me babe. Stay a while."

I chuckled and rested my head on his shoulder. "Okay. I wasn't planning on going far this morning anyway, but, just for you, since you asked so nicely, I'll stay right here." I looked over at the girls and Jacob. Jacob's hair was still a mess, but he was too focused on the pancakes in front of him to care. The girls were all eating at top speed as well, a combination of fingers, spoons, and forks being used and ignored by all five of the kids. I chuckled softly, glad we had so many wet wipes close at hand for after meal clean up. 

Jack set plates for Mark and I down in front of us, then grabbed his own plate and the coffee pot, filling mugs for both himself and Mark. I smiled at Ma set tea down in front of me, settling herself next to the girls with her own mug of tea and plate of food. Pa was already almost finished eating, reading a newspaper as he ate. I started eating, slow and carefully at first, so I wouldn't test my stomach too much, and sipped at my tea. Before long, the kitchen was awash with the noise of five toddlers, clamoring for attention, sticky and hyped up on sugar, eating and making an absolute mess. Jack, Mark, and I continued to watch, making sure nothing got out of hand. Finally, Jack stood up when we heard a knock on the door. I glanced up at the clock and blinked. It was almost eight. That was probably Felix and Marzia. 

Indeed it was. They followed Jack into the kitchen and laughed when they saw the kids. Jacob squealed. "Mommy! Daddy! UP!! I's aw done!" He held his hands out to be cleaned and to show all his food was gone. 

I chuckled. "Calm down, Jacob. You'll be able to see your Mommy and Daddy in just a minute. You don't want to get goop all over them, do you? Let me help you wipe up."

Felix waved a hand at me. "No, you stay there, [y/n]. I can handle him. Jacob, buddy, how are you doing this morning? Did you have fun sleeping here?"

Jacob grinned and nodded, letting Felix wipe him down before holding out his hands to be picked up again. "Yep. We aww sweeped on da fwoor, unda bwankets and sweeping bags. Sammi and I hewd hands aww night, 'cuz she's my girwfriend. And we eated pupkin pancakes for bweakfast! Unca Jack maked them. They was super yummy!" He rubbed his tummy. "I ated wots, now I'm aww fuww. What we doing today, Daddy?"

Felix blinked and scowled a little as Jacob mentioned holding Sammi's hand all night. I exchanged an amused look with Marzia. Felix reached up and tried to fix Jacob's hair a little, trying to disguise his annoyance. Jacob sighed. Marzia laughed, unable to hold back any more. "Felix. Honestly. Hand Jacob here. You go find some clothes for him, from the stuff we brought with us." Marzia shook her head as he walked out of the room, then grinned at me. "Felix can be so..." She stopped and looked at Jacob, who looked curious. "Nevermind. So, Jacob, sweetie, you wanted to know what else we're doing today, right?" Jacob nodded enthusiastically. "Mommy and Daddy are taking you and Dani, Sammi, Tiana, and Stephanie to daycare for the day. Then we're going to come get all of you and bring you back here for the Halloween party before we all go home. You girls are spending a couple of nights at our house, with Jacob. Tomorrow, you're parents are coming over to go trick or treating with all of us."

I smiled. "Yeah. I was explaining it to the girls this morning. Well, all but Sammi. She and Jacob were still sleeping. Thanks for this, Marzia. We're all getting worn down. This has been an incredibly busy week, and most of the next day or two are just going to be a constant blur for us, I think. Sunday was supposed to be a down day, to recover, but I have the feeling it's going to be spent dealing with things from today, whether or not they go well. Between the meeting with legal and my doctor's appointment..." I sighed. "Anyway, thanks. The stress is definitely getting to us."

Marzia smiled at me. "No problem. You guys watch Jacob for Felix and me a lot. I think we can manage a couple of nights. Particularly since tomorrow night, we won't even be home after we get the little ones to bed." She turned to Ma. "Thank you for agreeing to watch all the kids, Mrs. McLoughlin. We all really appreciate it. And we know you won't be posting information about anyone you shouldn't and can handle a mob."

I giggled. "She better be able to. She raised enough kids of her own. And the girls know to listen to their Granny, or they will face the wrath of Momma, Daddy, Papa, AND Granny."

Dani looked ta me and shivered. "Yes, Momma. We be good. 'Sides, ye's tha one we's most scareded of."

I gave her a look, raising an eyebrow. "Well, as long as you're good, it won't come to that. Now, which princesses are all done eating and ready to go have Grampa help them get dressed? Anyone?"

Ma grinned. "I'll help ye lasses too. And Dani, I agree with ye. Yer Momma is tha scary one, when she needs ta be. That's why we know she won't let anything happen ta make yer Daddy have ta leave and not come back." She winked at me. "She'll take on tha whole world first."

I blushed a little and waved a hand, but Jack grabbed it on its way past him, kissing my palm, and whispering in my ear. "Ma's not wrong, love. Now, ye just finish eating yer breakfast. These little beans need tha fuel." Jack smiled as he grabbed the cloth to wipe the girls' faces with, but Ma took it from him, waving him back to his own food. Pa stepped over to help, lifting the girls down from the seats and Ma and Pa herded them out to get dressed for the day.

I chuckled softly as I leaned close to Jack, whispering back to him. "You know, Seán, we keep calling them beans, or rock stars, but I didn't even think about the fact that _**bean**_ means woman in Irish until just now." Jack looked at me, grinned hugely, and winked. I chuckled again. "Did you? Be honest. I mean, I have no idea if they are girls or boys. I guess we find out in a few hours." I looked down and rubbed my belly, my emotions a little unsteady as I realized exactly what this meant, and how I was actually around the seventeen week mark now, more than the halfway point for the number of babies I was currently carrying. In fact, I was fast approaching the point where the babies could survive in incubators if they were born early. I still wanted to carry them as long as was safe for both them and me, but just knowing they could survive, if they absolutely had to, helped ease my mind a little. 

When I felt Jack kiss my cheek, I focused on him again. "Love, no, that didn't occur ta me. And I love hearing that ye've been working on learning Irish. Something must have stuck with ye for it ta pop inta yer head that way."

I giggled. "Yeah, but it think it's just a case of enough repetition is finally beating something in there. I still don't have that much I can say with any confidence. And most of what I can say isn't very useful. Yippee, I can say 'Water, please'." Jack raised an eyebrow. " _ **Uisce, le do thoil.**_ "

Jack snorted. "At least ye'll be well hydrated if ye ever have ta switch ta just Irish." Jack kissed me again and rested a hand on my tummy. "Tha babies and I appreciate that. And yer accent isn't half bad, considering ye are learning from software only right now. I'll try ta help ye more with it soon."

I grinned. "Yeah. Well, like I said, I can say a few things, but none of them seem useful. But I am trying."

Jack nodded and rested his head on my shoulder. "And that counts for a load. Besides, it's not like ye actually need ta learn tha language, even if we go ta Ireland. All ye are really going ta miss if ye don't speak it, is a load of old men and women swearing and complaining." 

Mark chuckled. "It's still really impressive that you are learning a language on your own, babe. Especially with all the other stuff going on in our lives right now."

I smiled and blushed faintly. "Yeah, well... I need something to distract myself sometimes. Besides, it only take twenty minutes a day or so and even when I'm too achy or tired or sick to move, I can still exercise my brain. I'm up to a forty-five day streak on Duolingo. Even around all my health stuff." I looked down. "I feel like it's slow going. Like I should be faster." I sighed, then looked up and grinned when I caught Jack's eye. "I did learn one phrase the other day that had me laughing like crazy and made me think of you, Seán. _**Béicim ar maidin**_. I wonder what brought you to mind when I heard that, hmm?"

Jack laughed. "Yeah, ye got me there. And every afternoon and evening." I chuckled with him. Mark made a noise, drawing our attention. I raised an eyebrow at him, but Jack grinned and held up a hand. "Mark, all tha lovely lass said was 'I yell in tha mornin'. I mean, she's not wrong. She yells, I yell, ye yell, tha girls yell. Everyone around here yells all tha time. But I can see why she would be amused by learning that one." Jack kissed my forehead, sweetly. "Now, love, what else have ye learned?"

I smiled and leaned into Jack's arms. "I can talk about animals some, food some, and know a few dozen adjectives. I can talk about stories and books a little. Sadly, I'm still learning to count. Oh, and I know a few colors now as well. A handful of phrases. _**Níl labhraím Gaeigle, ach tá mé ag foghlaim.**_ "

Jack smile was huge. "That's pretty good. Here's one for ye. **_Comhghairdeas!_** Do ye know that one?"

I nodded, still smiling a little. "Yes. You just told me congratulations. Now, let's go get the girls ready for the day and their bags packed for the overnight stuff. I'm sure we're making poor Mark crazy listening to us talk in a language he can't follow." 

Mark looked at me and smiled. "A little. I mean, I can't understand anything you're saying, but I'm just happy to see you so relaxed and proud of yourself."

I smiled and leaned back into him, kissing his cheek again. "Well, I explained the one about requesting water, and Jack told you about the second phrase I said, about yelling in the morning. The longer sentence I used was just me saying 'I don't speak Irish, but I'm learning.' Then Jack told me congrats. Don't worry babe, you can learn with the girls, if you want. I'm not even that far ahead." Mark just nodded and rested his head on top of mine. I wrapped my arms around him, hugging him close. "I love you, Markimoo."

Mark turned his head towards mine and pulled me into a gentle kiss. "I love you too. And I'm happy to hear you say it, too. I know you love Jack, me, and the girls too. But we still love hearing it, whenever you say it sweetheart." He sighed happily, next to me, still holding me as close as he could. "Mmm. You feel so good here, in my arms. I don't want to have to move. I know we have to go get ready to head out, get the girls ready, and gather a few things for our meeting, but I'd rather just stay here, in your arms, all day. Or with you in my arms."

I huffed out a quiet breath of laughter. "I know Mark. I'm pretty sure Jack feels the same way, to least to an extent. I know he also wants to get some resolution about his status in the US though, and today should clarify things. Plus, we are going to get to see the babies on the ultrasound. Dr. Sara is doing both the high powered, three-d video and a regular one today, so we can get as much information as we can. I'm just hoping to find out some genders and I want to see, with my own eyes, that all eight babies are developing properly, are healthy. That's my biggest worry at this stage." I stretched a little, my back cramping slightly from sitting in the hard wooden chair at a funny angle for too long. Mark let me go, his expression turning to worry, but he didn't say anything. Jack let me go as well, frowning a little from worry as well. I sighed. "Guys, relax. The chair, and angle I was sitting at, are just starting to bother my back, that's all." I looked back down at my food, making a face without realizing it, then sighing. "I'm so not hungry this morning."

Jack and Mark both looked at their own plates, nearly empty now, and then at each other. I was a little surprised when they both suddenly leaned in and kissed me, but I didn't say anything. Mark rested a hand on my baby bump. "Can you stomach a little more, for us, babe? Just a few more bites?"

I sighed again. "Meh. I guess so. Actually, I have a request. On the drive in, Jack, can you go through a drive through for me? I really, really want a chocolate milkshake for some reason. And french fries with hot sauce."

Jack laughed. "Whatever ye want, love. So ye are finally getting tha pregnancy cravings now, hmm? Mark and I were starting ta wonder when that would start." He grinned and rubbed a hand over my baby belly. "It honestly had us a bit worried that ye hadn't had any weird requests yet. And ye still aren't eating all that much. I know ye are having trouble because of how much room tha babies are taking up and tha pain from how fast ye are growing, but it was still a worry." He smiled as he rubbed my belly, feeling the babies squirming to follow his hand and the gentle pressure. "Is there anything else ye think ye could stand ta eat?"

I gave him a look, sexy thoughts flashing across my brain. He blinked and shook his head at me, clearly reading what I was thinking. Mark laughed, also picking up on the direction of my thoughts. "Wow. Okay, babe, you need to calm down. Maybe later for that. Jack was talking about food. Now, behave." I chuckled softly and winked at him, still letting the dirty thoughts and lust I was feeling, despite the pain, show in my expression. "Babe, seriously. Anyone could walk in on us now. Come on, let's go get the girls ready. You can re-channel your energy into productivity, like you always do when you have something you have to wait to do."

I made a grumpy noise, rolled my eyes, and crossed my arms in front of me, drawing out chuckles from both men. Inwardly, I smirked to myself. I wasn't really upset, I was trying to make sure the guys were staying calm and stress-free as long as I could manage this morning. I looked at Jack, still outwardly grumpy. "Fine. But Seán, you better take Mark into the playroom, get the girls dressed, and pack up the book bags they will need for the day. I'm going to go gather up the paperwork we need for the day from the office, but I'll stay sitting down, I promise. You can send Felix and Marzia in with the kids, so I can wish them a good day before they leave, if you want. At least make sure either Marzia or Felix comes and talks to me for a few minutes before they leave, so I can make a few plans with one of them to meet up at my office at the show."

Jack smiled softly and nodded, leaning in for one more kiss. "Of course, love. And I notice ye dodged my question about food. Tell ye what, we'll stop for yer milkshake on tha way in ta work, and stop over at tha cafe too. Ye can see if anything sounds good ta get for a snack for later and we can all get some lunch ta eat before yer doctor's visit. Now, cheer up and smile for me. That's my lovely, cheerful wife."

I smiled at the last part, loving hearing him call me that, then grinned wider as I heard footsteps outside the kitchen door. Jack looked a little startled and almost panicked, clearly afraid someone might have overheard him, until he saw it was Tyler, coming in to get some coffee and breakfast. "Morning guys. Are you all getting ready to head out for the day?"

I nodded at him. "Yeah. We have so much shit to do, it's unreal, so we need to leave pretty soon. Today, if you can let Robin, Kathryn, and Ethan know what they need to do and see if they need any help, it would be great. Anything else is pretty much just whatever you want to do, or things you want to do to get ahead, scheduling wise. The editors should all have access to the servers now. You should too, by the way. There's an email for each of you with the login information. You can all use the computers in the office, if you want, but really most of today will just be making sure your logins work, looking through the unedited video backlog and maybe selecting a few videos to get started on, and getting us a list of any technology or software we need to get for all of you to do your jobs. We'll be busy all morning, but we should be able to check emails around lunchtime, before I have my doctor's visit and we're busy again. We'll probably be all done and back home shortly after four, if everything goes as planned, but we need to immediately get ready for the kids party at five. The good news is that we can spend the whole evening going over things with the four of you, after the party, if you all want. Or you can all kind of just do whatever else you need to do today. Like I mentioned to all of you yesterday, the next few days are going to be so insane, we won't really expect any work stuff to get done until next week, at the earliest."

Tyler smiled, nodding. "Yeah, I'll take care of that. You guys just focus on getting everything done you need to. Actually, I'm going to be completely done by the afternoon. If you tell me where the decorations are for the party, I'll take care of getting that stuff done for you. You guys need the help, and I really don't mind." His smile brightened even more. "It makes me happy to see your daughters get so excited when they see something new or someone they haven't seen for a little while, and I like being able to help that way."

Mark grinned hugely. "Yeah, they are adorable that way. Thanks for the offer. We'll definitely take you up on it."

I reached over to the counter and grabbed a pen and paper. "All the decorations should be in the dining room, in boxes, except the balloons and balloon pump, which are in the front closet. I'll write down a list of where to put things up, if you want. Mostly, just use your judgement. And thank you." Tyler smiled and waved a hand at me, brushing the thanks off. "No, really. I'm feeling less and less able to do things, physically, and I really don't want to have to shove everything off on poor Jack. It's not good for him. I just feel guilty asking people to do everything for me."

Jack suddenly reached over and scooped me up, into his arms. "Love, ye know our friends don't mind helping. They've all said so. And I'm fine. Ta tell tha truth, ye've been making sure I don't over do things and it makes me feel a load better when ye let me, or one of our friends or family members, help do things for ye. Ye really don't need ta feel guilty about asking for some help with things." He hummed a small, happy noise and carried me out of the room. "Tyler, Mark, I'll be right back. Just going ta set [Y/N] in tha home office for a minute." He turned his face back toward me and smiled. "Let's get ye set up in here for a few minutes. I set tha second wheelchair in here last night, so I'll just get ye in tha chair and ye can roll yerself around until we have ta leave. I can load ye and Mark, and tha two wheelchairs, in tha car when it's time. Thank ye for taking it easy today, though, as hard as it is for ye." Jack set me down in the second wheelchair, making sure I was comfortable. I smiled into his face and pulled him in close for a quick kiss.

"Thank you, Seán. And don't think I missed this chair is fancier than the other one. I like the color too." Jack had gotten a chair with a black seat and purple metal frame, and had either purchased, or the chair had come with, bright green wheel grips, allowing the person using the chair better control. The grips were also soft enough to help prevent blisters and make braking or slowing down the chair a lot easier. **_{A/N-- yes, I have these very grips, in purple and green. They really do help a lot, even if they are somewhat expensive to buy. And honestly, the green set (one per wheel) kind of look like they could easily be converted into SepticEye Sams. The grips simply go on the metal rim of the wheels or the hand rail, to cover it all the way around each side. Just thought you all might be interested.}_** In addition to the grips and the purple frame, Jack had put my pregnancy cushion (to help relieve my back pain) in the seat of the chair and a smaller throw blanket was draped over the back, to wrap around me while I was in the chair. "It looks like you thought of everything, sweetie. You can go back and help Mark and get the girls out the door, now. I'll be good here until we're ready to get moving. And seriously, thank you."

Jack just reached a hand down and rubbed my belly, then tucked the blanket around me, making sure it didn't drag on the floor, but would keep me warm. "Of course, love. Ye just do what ye need ta do in here and meet us in tha living room, okay? And I'll send Marzia this way in a few minutes. Love ye, lass."

"I love you too, Seán. I won't take very long in here, I promise. I just need to get a few papers. You know the ones. Then we can head out, as soon as the girls are under way with Felix and Marzia, and I can manage to get some shoes on."

Jack chuckled. "I can help ye with tha shoes. Ye just relax. See ye in a few, love." Jack moved away from me, almost reluctantly, moving his hand off my baby bump at the last minute, only to run the same hand along my cheek before stepping out the door. I watched him go, a small smile of my face, before turning the wheelchair around and rolling over to the portion of the room where my computer and files were. I opened the drawer on the desk, next to the tower of my computer, and grabbed the folder of important documents which I had started, that now had the letter from Irish immigration about the offer of dual citizenship for Mark, the similar letters I had received for all of us with the offers of citizenship to several other countries, the copy of Jack's and my marriage license, the paperwork I had sent in yesterday, by fax, about the legal name changes for Jack and I, and a few other documents I felt I should bring along for the legal team. I double checked that everything was in the folder, like I thought, and slid the folder carefully into the wheelchair-attachable messenger bag that Alison had given to me on that first Christmas with Jack's family. I smiled a little, remembering the day, then shook myself out of the memories and hooked the bag on the chair. I grabbed my cell phone and tablet, adding them, and my wallet, to the bag as I rolled myself out to the living room, just as Marzia came looking for me. 

I smiled at her as she came over. "So, Jack tells me you wanted to talk about something before we leave, but that it won't take long. Is everything okay? Did Jacob do something we need to address?"

I shook my head. "No, he was great. This is just something we need to talk to everyone about, at work. I just wanted to have you and Felix head into my office as soon as you get there. And I wanted to thank you again for taking the girls for a couple of nights. Jack, Mark, and I are all ridiculously tired already, and the next two or three days are just going to test our endurance more. And I'm still worried about how stressed Jack is."

Marzia nodded, smiling now. "Yeah, I can see that. I don't blame you. Honestly, Felix and I were talking last night about you guys. We're worried about all three of you. Things have been so stressful and busy for all of you, it's kind of surprising you haven't all just collapsed or snapped or something. We decided we're going to start helping you guys out more, as much as we can. Even if it's just little things, like helping you guys watch your daughters, or helping you keep ahead of the laundry and dishes so you can relax for a few more minutes, here and there. We know Jack's parents are planning to head back to Ireland before long too."

I smiled a little sadly. "Yeah, they are. They were waiting to see what was going to happen with Jack's VISA before they book their return flight, but I know they wanted to get home before long, and definitely before the Thanksgiving travel season starts. Thank you."

Marzia just nodded. "Of course. You guys spend so much time helping everyone else, we all owe you about a million and a half favors anyway. We should have stepped up more, before this, too. Is there anything we can do to help with the party tonight?"

I shook my head. "Not really. Jack made the last of the treats for the party last night, the main food is ready, just waiting to be cooked, and Tyler is going to decorate the house while we're out at the doctor this afternoon. You guys have the girls in hand, so we can focus on other things and have a little down time to shift from one thing to another, mentally, between things today." I sighed and rubbed my belly, trying to ease the pain from how quickly the babies were growing and stretching my skin, muscles, and even my bones to make room. I made a rueful face as the babies kicked where I rubbed. "I can't believe how big the babies are getting, or that we'll probably be able to see the genders today. Mark, Jack, and I are all really excited about this doctor's visit."

Marzia smiled, then winced at the sudden crash from the playroom. I was unfazed, used to the sounds of chaos where ever the girls were most of the time. There weren't any tears and the volume level hadn't changed, so I just assumed everyone was fine, if noisy. Marzia grinned at me and shook her head. "How do you do that? You stay so calm, even in the face of a lot of uncontrolled noise and confusion."

I chuckled. "I'm used to it. Truthfully, I know what the various sounds are likely to be, when to worry, and when to just let things ride. That's what happens when you have more than one or two kids who are close in age. You learn to hear the problems as they come up. Plus, I know who's in with the kids, and I don't hear them raising their voices either. It's just loud around here. It's not like having eight more kids is going to make it quieter or less chaotic. But we'll figure it all out as we go. We always have done. And we will still have plenty of help, we hope, from all our friends and family, like always."

Marzia nodded. "Yeah, Felix and I will definitely help as much as we can." She sighed and looked at me more closely. "Sweetie, we've honestly been worrying about you, especially because of how crazy this week has been and will be for the rest of it. Felix and I were talking, a lot, the last two days about this. After Mr. and Mrs. McLoughlin head home, you three are going to need more help. We know Tyler's here, and he's been helping you a lot, but what about the rest of the time? He can't cover everything."

I looked down and nodded. "We know. But none of us really feel like we can make plans until after we talk to legal this morning. Everything is hinging on what they say. If everything is good, we're going to have them file Jack's dual citizenship paperwork. Then, this weekend, we'll sit down and figure out how to get through the next few months. We're probably going to ask my mother to move out here with us, indefinitely. We might see if Eddie and Ray would be willing to move in with us to help out until after the babies are settled in and a few months old. If things go wrong with Jack's case, we'll have to figure out what to do about that too. There are just too many variables in all this right now to make the firm, informed decisions we need to. That's why they have been pushed for this long already. We know everyone is worried. Hell, we're worried too. We're just stuck for the moment. That's part of why I asked you to take the girls for the next couple of nights too. Jack's going to need some downtime. I have the sneaking suspicion he might have a bit of a mental breakdown otherwise, particularly if he thinks too hard about the negative things that could happen. He might anyway, and I know he'll worry more if the girls are around and might possibly see it."

Marzia pulled me into a hug. "Hey, if anyone can keep that from happening, it's you. If you need Felix and I to watch the girls for more than just two nights, just let us know. We can even bring them back and forth so you guys can spend some down time with them, then have quiet time after, if you need us to." Marzia smiled at me again. "And by the way, thank you for fielding all Jacob's questions about babies. I'm sure he had a lot of them."

I chuckled and looked back up at her. "A few. But the girls have had a lot more. I'm just glad Jacob accepted the offer to share the babies. You and Felix have enough on your plates and do not need the pressure from your own son to have more kids. Even if it is fairly innocent."

Marzia laughed. "Yeah. Some days I can barely handle Jacob and Felix. We don't need the added craziness."

I nodded and giggled a little. "Yeah, Felix can be a handful."

Marzia laughed again. "This coming from the woman who manages to keep _Mark_ and _Jack_ in line. Talk about a handful. Plus, those four little monkeys you call your daughters. Someday I want a proper explanation of how you manage to keep everyone on track."

I smirked. "Easy. Bribes and threats. And I'm very creative when it comes to punishments and rewards." Marzia shook her head, looking skeptical. "I'm serious. I have no problem bribing anyone to behave, or threatening punishments if people get out of line. Everyone's seen me get mad enough, they don't cross me often, and when they do, they know just how bad they screwed up and get right back in line. I hate getting mad though, and fortunately, no one is dumb enough to provoke me very much."

Marzia grinned at me. "Yeah. You might not be the most intimidating most of the time, but you can be when you actually get mad. I've never seen anyone go so cold before, as I did when you got mad at Ken's party."

I nodded and swallowed, all traces of good humor gone from my face. "I know. Like I said, I don't let myself get mad often. I either go all cold like that or so mad my blood practically boils. Both are apparently equally scary to see." I looked down at the floor, the shook my head gently. "But enough focusing on that. Really the only reason I distracted you from rounding all the kids up and getting them out the door was to make sure you and Felix came to my office first thing when you get to work." I chuckled softly. "God, I'm so easily distracted the last couple of days. Pregnancy brain is definitely a thing, this time around, and it's getting bad." I felt another really powerful kick and winced, rubbing the spot on my belly. "Easy there, little one. Momma was just saying you lot are distracting me, not saying anything bad. Come on, you know it's true. You babies keep me up at all hours, kick me in my sleep, move my organs around to suit you, and are stretching my body so fast it hurts."

Marzia came over to the wheelchair and rested a hand on my shoulder. "I'm really sorry you're having so much pain, [Y/N]. You should definitely talk to the obstetrician about it today. Even if there isn't anything more you should be doing, she should know, and you'll have at least told her, so it will be in your records, in case there is a problem down the way. Personally, I have no idea how you are coping so well with everything. I'd collapse under all the pressure and stress, not even counting the physical pain you must be in all the time. You've got to be one of the strongest people I know."

I blushed. "Thanks. I don't feel strong lately. I'm having to rely on everyone else for everything, which is always especially hard for me, after my history." I felt my emotions swirl and my anxiety rising a little. "Dad always attacked any type of weakness, making me feel like showing anything that was remotely less than super strength to the world would mean abuse, either physical, mental, or emotional. He was a manipulative bastard, for sure. So was his mother. Emotionally and mentally abusive I mean, at least in her case, to me." 

Marzia stepped even closer and pulled me into a hug. "Hey, I didn't mean to trigger you, sweetie. I just meant you shoulder everyone else's troubles along with your own. You have no idea how much I look up to you for that. And I'm very, very sorry you ever had anyone treat you badly, about anything, in the past." She handed me a tissue, to blot the tears that had started trickling down my face. "Do you need me to go get someone to come sit with you for a minute or two and cheer you back up?"

I twisted the tissue between my fingers, still looking at the floor, unable to meet her gaze. The tears were starting to flow faster and I was fighting off my emotions as best I could. "Yeah. I think you better. Jack and Mark will know how to help me. I'm sorry for this."

Marzia patted my shoulder again. "Don't worry about it. Everyone has their breaking points, We all just want you to be safe and happy. And I'll come have the kids say a quick goodbye before we head out, if you want."

I nodded again. "Please. They can usually pull me out of the mental spiraling too. I don't deserve such amazing friends."

Marzia squeezed my shoulder as she let go and stepped back. "That's just not true. You do so much good, not just for your family, friends, and coworkers, but on a global level, it's a little unreal. You deserve all the friends and love you get, and a lot more. Try to stay strong for a few minutes, my dear, while I get some backup."

I nodded and tried to focus my brain on something other than my past, but the mental strain of the week, the impending feeling of doom over Jack's VISA issues, and the pain I was in just prevented me from being able to focus away from what I was already on. By the time Mark and Jack came back in the living room, not more than three minutes later, the tears were streaming down my face, and I was fighting down full on sobs. Jack immediately scooped me up in his arms and settled on the couch, holding me as close as he could. "Love? I've got ye. Shh."

Mark rolled over and hopped between the wheelchair and the cushion next to me, on my other side, then wrapped me up in his arms too. "Babe. We both have you. You're safe. Can you tell us what happened? What's wrong?"

I gasped and sobbed, barely able to breathe. Both men just pulled me in closer to them, scooting closer to each other as well, wrapping me in warmth and support. Jack reached up and stroked my hair, then gently kissed my shoulder. "Love, what can we do ta help ye deal with things? Do ye want me ta just keep holding ye and let ye cry it out, or should we try ta help ye focus on something else? What even happened?"

I hiccuped a few times, fighting to get my breathing under control. Jack's hand stroking my hair, the gentle, but firm, pressure from the embraces, and the warm presence of my two loves making me feel safe. "S-sorry. Marzia and I were talking, and..." I sniffled and suddenly, my nose filled with the scents of the guys, relaxing me further and helping quell the panic. "Things kind of circled back to Dad and his mom."

Mark nodded, resting his head on one of my shoulders, looking at me closely. "Okay, no wonder you looked so sad. You just stay here, with Jack and I for a few minutes then and gather your thoughts."

I shivered. "No. That's going to lead me back to a panic attack. I can't seem to focus too well today, except on negatives. So I need the two of you to help me stay on an even keel, please. If you see me starting to spiral, just do what you can to get me back, please. I need to stay strong, for the babies as much as myself, I know, but between the hormones, pain, and stress, I'm just a mess today." I looked at the floor again.

Jack reached up and lifted my chin in firm fingers. "No, ye aren't. Ye are too hard on yerself though. And Mark and I will stick with ye today, as much as ye need." He leaned over and brushed the tears from my cheeks with tender fingers, then kissed my left cheek gently. "Ye're worth tha effort. We love ye, darlin', so, so much. I'm glad ye were able ta calm back down so well."

I sniffled again and burrowed my face into Jack's neck and shoulder. I could practically feel his smile. "You and Mark did that. Just having the two of you here, where I could feel the warmth of your bodies, feel the love and comfort you were both offering, and smell you both, helped me settle my emotions again. At least mostly. I think today is going to be rough as far as that goes though, fair warning."

Mark pressed a kiss into my shoulder where his head was resting. "Shh, babe, we don't mind. You're entitled to a day or two of emotional upheaval, especially with all the stress all three of us have been fighting. Just let us know if you need us to do anything in particular. We will do everything we can. Now, can you let Jack go get our shoes for us, so we can finish getting ready for work, or do you need him to stay here with us for a few more minutes?"

I shifted myself closer to both men and buried my head further in Jack's side. "Stay. Please. Just for a few more minutes. I'm a little afraid if you leave, I'll just immediately start crying again."

Jack nodded and pressed a kiss into my forehead. "Of course, love. Ye just relax. Mark and I will both stay here with ye. Then, when I do get up, he can keep holding ye and snuggling with ye, okay? Ye won't be alone, and he can keep an eye on ye." I nodded and closed my eyes, trying to just mentally recompose myself. Instead, my mind just drifted. The smells of rain, cinnamon, woods, smoke, and faint undercurrents that were distinctly Jack and Mark swirled in my head, relaxing me almost to the point of falling asleep. These scents spelled safety, home, and happiness to my brain, which was, quite frankly, so overworked and strained it was latching on to anything it could. A few minutes of just being held and I felt like myself again, mostly. That's when the girls and Jacob came running out, hugging our knees and calling to us for attention. I opened my eyes again and smiled down at the happy little faces, seeing Marzia and Felix following closely too. 

"Momma? Ye look sad. Is ye okay? Did tha babies hurted ye?"

"No, Steph. The babies were being good. Momma was just sad, thinking about the past. My father..." I looked at the girls, then reached over and stroked a hand down Stephanie's cheek. "My dad used to do some really bad things to me and sometimes Momma gets upset when she thinks of them. Actually, whenever I think of them, I get upset. My dad, and his mom, weren't good people. And something made me think of them, while I was talking to Aunt Marzia. That's why your Daddy and Papa had to come rescue me. It's not good when Momma gets that upset right now, because of the babies. I could get hurt, or they could, if I can't calm down. So Daddy and Papa have to help me get calmed down."

"Momma? Why did yer Daddy hurt ye? And why did ye let him?" Dani was looking up at me, looking sad.

I smiled and pulled her into a hug. Jack lifted her up, pulling her into our laps. "Well, babygirl, I don't really understand exactly why my dad hurt me. He hurt Uncle Eddie and Uncle Darrell too. My mommy didn't know about it though. He waited until no one was around to do things. And we couldn't fight back too well because we were little and not nearly as strong as him." I hugged her close. "His mommy was bad too, and he learned it from her, I think. That's why I don't talk about them much, or ever, ever show you pictures of them or call him on the phone. He doesn't know about our family, and I want to keep it that way, forever."

Dani nodded and hugged me. Tiana and Sammi hugged my legs. Stephanie reached up and patted my belly, then smiled. "We's sorry he was so mean, Momma. Hey Momma? If he l-learned ta be bad from his Mommy, how comes you aren't bad too?"

I smiled over at her, and reached over, stroking her hair now too. "Sweetheart, Momma learned from your Grandma how to be a good mommy. My dad just showed me what NOT to do. But he did teach me a few good things, and I'll teach them to all of you, when your older. Things like how to ride a bicycle, how to check the air pressure in a tire on a car, and how to build a bird house."

The girls all smiled and nodded, still hugging the three of us close. Jacob piped up too, now. "Can you do those things, Daddy?"

Felix chuckled. "Well, buddy, I can do some of them. But I know how to do other things that I can show you when you get older too. All of us can learn from each other, and that's something really important to remember." 

I nodded agreement. "Yeah. Everyone has things they are good at. And it's okay not to be good at everything. Sometimes you need to remember to ask people for help, especially if you know someone who is better at what you need help with than you. For example, I'm not great at cooking food on a grill, but my brother is, and Mark is. So I ask them to do that. Jack's better at it than me, too. I can do it, if I have too, but other people are better, so I ask them. Or things like asking your Mommy for help decorating the house here, Jacob. She's a lot better at that than me. So I ask her for help when we change things around."

Marzia smiled and picked Jacob up. "Okay, who wants to go for a ride in the car? We all have places to be and things to do today. Stephanie, Tiana, Danielle, Samantha, you're all riding with me, in your van. Can you find your backpacks and shoes for me?" The girls ran off, yelling to each other as they found what they needed to leave. Jacob tucked his thumb in his mouth and curled into Marzia's chest. Marzia smiled down at him. 'Come on, big guy. Mommy already got all your stuff together and put it in the car. Are you okay riding in to work with Daddy, like a big boy?"

Jacob grinned and nodded, then reached out for Felix. Felix grinned back and took his son. "Daddy, can we stop for ice scream on the way?"

Felix laughed. "Maybe, if you're a good boy, on the way _HOME_ we can stop. Not on the way in though. The ice cream store isn't even open yet." Jacob sighed. Felix just kept smiling and shook his head, kissing Jacob's hair. "Come on bud. Let's get our stuff in the car and head out. You can get settled at daycare that way and help the girls do the same when they get there." Jacob nodded, stuck his thumb in his mouth and pointed for the door. The two of them headed out. Marzia sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Would it have killed him to offer to help load the girls in the van?"

I laughed. "Marzia, it might have. But don't worry. The girls can actually help with that a lot themselves. You just need to lift them into the van and maybe boost them into the seats, if they are having trouble. They can even help buckle themselves in pretty well."

Marzia smiled and nodded at me. "Okay, good. Jack? Can you come help me? Then you can come back and the three of you can finish getting ready to come in to the office. We'll see all of you then, okay? Bye Mark. Bye [Y/N]." We waved as she dragged Jack out to get the girls situated in the van. I stayed with Mark, cuddled in close. 

Mark sighed and stroked a hand down my back again. "Are you feeling any better, baby? You really have Jack and I worried, you know. I wish you had let us know earlier what was going on, instead of letting things get to you so much you had that near- panic attack."

I looked into Mark's face, shifting in his arms a little. "Mark, sweetheart, it wasn't a matter of things building to an attack, it was a sudden thing. Marzia was talking to me about how strong I was and my brain just went back to why and how I learned to hide my weakness. It was very sudden, I promise you. And yes, I do feel better now. And I'm glad the girls seem so understanding about this issue with my Dad. I don't think I could handle them asking to meet him." I shivered and trembled with emotions. Mark hugged me closer and pressed his lips into my forehead. "Thanks Mark. And thank you for being here for me with this issue, too. You and Jack have been nothing but understanding and supportive about listening to me talk about Dad, or avoid the topic all together."

Mark didn't say anything for a minute, just continuing to hold me close. "Babe, the two of us just want to keep you safe and happy. We know that's not a happy subject, for you or your brothers, and we don't want to cause you more pain by asking a lot of questions or dragging up sore spots. We're both just very sad that it happened to you at all. You never need to explain that to us, if it's too hard."

I rested my head on Mark's shoulder. "Thank you. Knowing how much you both care helps more than you could imagine. For now, though, let's either just sit here snuggling, or change the subject. I need to focus on happy thoughtS, not get mired in the past, especially today." Mark nodded and started rubbing my baby belly, humming softly. I let myself relax and drift in his arms, my mind wandering as he got the babies to move and settle even further. Jack came back in a few minutes later and we all managed to get ourselves ready and out the door, the two wheelchairs getting folded up into the trunk of the car, Mark and I curling up together in the backseat while Jack drove us in. We were all quiet on the drive, except when Jack ordered the food at the drive- through. He got me the fries I had mentioned earlier and an enormous chocolate shake, handing them back to me as soon as they were handed to him. I smiled and thanked him, nibbling on the fries and sipping the shake slowly. I had barely made a dent in either item before we pulled up at the cafe across from work. Jack smiled at Mark and I, asked if we wanted anything specific, and when we said no, went in and ordered some food, asking for it to be delivered at noon. Then he drove us to the office and parked in my spot. 

Wade and Bob walked up just as Jack was wrestling the wheelchairs out of the trunk, so they helped him set the up and Wade pushed Mark into the elevator. Bob pushed me and Jack held my hand, looking more and more tense with every step he took. When we got to my office, I unlocked it and ushered everyone in, getting myself settled on a couch almost immediately and pulling Jack down next to me. I cuddled close to him, trying to get him to relax a little, but I could feel the tension running through him. I did my best to help him stay calm, but I knew he was really struggling with things today, especially the looming immigration issue. Eventually I reached over and started massaging his shoulder, making him groan. "Love, that feels amazing. Please, don't stop."

I chuckled. "Okay Seán. If you insist, I'll keep going. Just relax here with me, sweetie." Our friends chuckled, watching us as we waited for the rest of the group to get here. After a surprisingly short wait, the last of the group arrived and got settled. Mark was cuddled in next to Jack and I, with me sitting between the two men, almost in their laps. I looked back at Jack and raised an eyebrow. He nodded, looking surprisingly nervous. I turned to our friends. "Thanks for joining us this morning everyone. We really appreciate the support." I rested my head against both men's shoulders before I continued. "It means a lot to all three of us that you were willing to come in early and just be here for us, especially Jack and I. This has been incredibly stressful for Jack. I've been trying to help him as much as I can, and so has Mark, but I know he's still very worried, stressed, and it's a major factor in why he got sick."

Jack wrapped his arms around me and rested his hands over the babies. "Love, ye've had tha same stresses I have, and more because of tha babies. Ye know that."

I held a finger over his lips. "Hush. I wasn't done talking. And I'm not denying I've had a lot of stress too. But I was talking about you. Everyone seems to have been focused on me and watching out for my health already. You're the one who appeared the healthiest, and so got the least attention paid to health issues, for the last month at least." Jack looked at me and nodded, seeing the sense in what I was saying. I smiled softly at him. "It's not your fault, or anyone else's. It's just how things worked out." I turned back to our friends again, looking around. Felix was sitting, with Marzia in his lap, next to Jack on the couch with us. Ken and Mary were on the other couch, leaning on each other, with Molly and Wade next to them. Bob was in a rolling chair. Mandy had even come in this morning, knowing what was going on from talking to us yesterday, and wanting to show her support. Ryan and Matt were sitting in their office chairs, rolled into the room for the morning. Danny had even come in and was looking mostly asleep in his seat, next to Eddie. And we had more people who were concerned and wanted to help here at work as well, but didn't want to butt in on our morning planning session. I smiled faintly at everyone, feeling a little nervous now. It was time to share the news. "Anyway, that's not what I was going to talk about with all of you, this morning. You know I've been making layers and layers of plans to keep Jack in the country legally. I haven't talked about most of them yet, but some we have discussed at length." Everyone nodded. "Yeah, so we made a decision and moved on one of the plans two days ago." I swallowed and looked at Jack.

Jack smiled at me, leaned forward in his seat, and kissed me gently, whispering in my ear. "Calm down love. Ye know no one is going ta be mad. And it's a good thing. Ye know that too."

I nodded, still feeling nervous and worried. Mark cleared his throat, drawing my attention. "Babe. Just relax. Do you want me to tell everyone?"

I shook my head. "No, I'll do it." I looked around the room again and saw a variety of expression on everyone's faces, mostly worry for us, suspicion, and confusion. I sighed. "Jack and I went to the courthouse and got married. He's legally my husband now. I'm sorry we didn't tell all of you sooner, but we are still planning on having the big celebration and ceremony later, with everyone in attendance. What we did Wednesday doesn't exactly feel real, to any of us, at this point."

Jack chuckled. "It wasn't exactly romantic, that's for certain."

I leaned into him and turned slightly in my seat, resting a hand on his chest now. "I'm sorry, Seán. There was only so much I could do about that. Signing a bunch of paperwork around the errands we needed to do while we met the new editors was all we had time for." I kissed his cheek and whispered in his ear. "Besides, we celebrated together during nap time, remember? And that wasn't exactly the honeymoon." I turned back to the rest of the room as I felt Jack squirm a little, under me, and blush heavily. I mentally chuckled. Our friends were all looking very surprised. Stunned even. I smiled softly. "We didn't want anyone finding out from the media or news when this comes to light. We really weren't trying to hide it, but we want everyone at the actual wedding. This was just a legal maneuver to, hopefully, make it completely impossible to send Jack back to Ireland permanently."

Danny grinned at us, the first to shake the surprise. "So, who was actually there for this thing?"

Mark laughed. "Me. I signed as a witness. And Tyler, who drove Jack and I in to the courthouse when she surprised us both with the appointment for this. Tyler was our second witness. [Y/N] called ahead and scheduled a time to go fill in the paperwork, but didn't tell any of us ahead. I think she told Tyler, so he would drive us in, the morning of the actual appointment."

I nodded. "Yeah. You and Jack had already gone ahead and were working on setting up the guest rooms for Robin, Ethan, and Kathryn."

Felix blinked at us. "Wait... Seriously?!? You had all five kids on the night you got married? What the hell! That's terrible."

I chuckled. Jack blushed again. The rest of the room just looked surprised. I glanced at Mark. He was faintly blushing too. Danny started laughing a minute later. "Holy shit. I don't think that stopped you, did it?"

I laughed out loud now. "Well, not exactly. We just, um, celebrated earlier in the day. After lunch, before you brought Jacob over, Felix. Not that it's really any of your business. Jack's parents had taken the girls up for naps. They thought we were going to nap too, which we did, after."

Jack suddenly clapped a hand over my mouth. "Love, don't ye fucking dare say any more. Jaysus. Some things do not need ta be shared with our friends."

I grinned behind Jack's hand. I hadn't been planning n saying anything else, but it still amused me how Jack reacted. I started giggling when Jack didn't move his hand away, clearly afraid I would just spill my guts, uncontrollably. Eddie looked at me and started laughing. "Uh, Jack, I don't think, if she really wants to share, you're going to be able to stop her. My sister has always found ways around people trying to shut her up. And when she was little and we did that to her, she would either bite our hands or lick us, just as a warning."

Jack slowly removed his hand and looked at me. I was giggling hard now, completely amused. Jack just smacked his hand on his forehead and dragged it down over his eyes. I stopped giggling enough to speak after a minute. "Really, Seán, what did you think I was going to tell them? I'm not the one who has said things, or done things, that everyone else overheard, on several occasions. And I'm not the one who said things in front of young family members, or siblings, that had to be explained or were extremely awkward."

Mark and Jack both groaned. Eddie laughed. So did Danny, Wade, Bob, and Felix. Everyone else looked amused too. Felix turned to me. "What did they say? This is hilarious."

I raised an eyebrow. "I don't think you want me to start spilling secrets, now do you? Anyone?"

Everyone in the room groaned, except me. I smirked. Danny looked at me. "You can be downright evil sometimes, you know. I'd ask what we did to deserve this, but the truth is we have all done things at some point or another, haven't we?" I nodded, still smirking. "Okay, we'll lay off the guys. Besides, we got distracted. We should be congratulating the two of you. Mark, buddy, are you okay with this? I mean, I know you said you were before, but now that it's actually happened, are you still okay?"

Mark nodded. "Yeah. Like we said before, this is a positive thing, for all of us. Actually, um, Jack and [Y/N] are going to change their last names. And so am I, eventually. We'll all be McLoughlin-Fischbach, just like the girls and these new babies. And being married should make a difference in Jack's case, if it hasn't already been determined in his favor."

Everyone went quiet at that, nodding to themselves or just thinking. I looked at Jack again and smiled, no teasing in my expression now. "We've been so busy we haven't really had time to absorb this new change, or any of the other things, I think, but it's really not that big a change for us anyway. It's not like the piece of paper matters to any of the three of us. But is might matter to the legal team. And like I mentioned earlier, it might show up in the news, very soon. But that depends on whether or not Jack's legal case has been resolved. If he's going to be allowed to stay, we can probably keep it quiet until the wedding ceremony itself. If not, I have a carefully scripted 'leak' that will get sent to every major entertainment news outlet we can find, worldwide. We just wanted to make sure we told all of you before that happened. And we plan to tell our families tonight, or over the weekend, depending on how things go and how tired we are. Eddie, you can tell Ray, obviously, but please don't tell Mom or Darrell. We decided this morning to tell everyone so it wasn't a shock." I looked down at my baby belly and the floor. "To be honest, we weren't really trying to hide it, but we weren't talking about it either. We want the focus to be on the actual wedding, when we schedule that. But since that's going to be a while in the future, and things might happen to prevent us from keeping this to ourselves, we talked it over and agreed to tell everyone now. Mark, Jack, and I are thinking about having the ceremony be for all three of us, if and when we can arrange it later. And we can plan the honeymoon properly then too."

Everyone nodded. Bob looked at the three of us closely. "So, I have a question for all of you now. Who's going to go up with you to legal? We all want to, but I highly doubt we'll all be allowed."

I looked at Jack and Mark. Mark just shrugged a little. Jack and I carried on a silent conversation. I finally nodded. "Um, actually Bob, we would like you to come with us, and Felix. If everyone else can wait here, or come back here at lunch, we'll tell you all how things go then." I looked up at the clock on the wall and grimaced. "We better start heading up, guys. We're supposed to be there at nine thirty and it's already nine twenty. I don't want to be late, or put this off any longer than we have too." Wade helped Mark back into his wheelchair and pushed him over to the door, wishing us luck, along with everyone else who agreed to wait here for us. Danny hugged me and promised to call us this evening, telling me he had to go record something with Arin this morning, so he couldn't really wait around for us to finish, but to shoot him a text before tonight, if we had time. I nodded as Jack lifted me up and set me in my wheelchair, pushing me over to the door. Bob took over pushing Mark and Felix followed us as we all headed up to the legal department. Vicki called out a greeting to us as we passed, but Felix went in and told her what was going on before immediately coming back and catching up. We were ushered into the conference room to wait. Jack scoot his chair over as close to me as he could manage and rested a hand on the babies, clearly stressed and anxious, but trying to stay together for this meeting. I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him over for a quick kiss. "Mmm. I love you, Seán. Please remember that, no matter what else happens today. And I want to be with you."

Jack swallowed back emotions and smiled at me. "Thank ye, love. That helps. I know ye love me, and Mark does, and tha girls do, but hearing ye say it calms me down. So thank ye."

I nodded. "Of course, Seán. You know I'd do anything to help you." Jack rested his head against mine and sighed, happily, I hoped. I smiled at him and moved my hand up to cradle the back of his head, threading my fingers through his hair. Mark reached his good hand over and rested it on Jack's back, leaving his arm behind me, our wheelchairs pushed tight together. Felix was sitting next to Jack on the other side and Bob was on Mark's other side. When the door opened up across from us, Jack and I both looked up, but didn't move otherwise, watching as the whole legal team came in and settled in the chairs across the table from us, looking slightly nervous, if I was reading their expressions correctly. After everyone was seated, the head lawyer looked up at us, shuffling papers in front of him, but refusing to meet my eyes. I decided to start the meeting. "Good morning. I hope you have some good news for us. By the way, Felix and Bob came with us this time, to help us make sure we understand everything and aren't mistaking anything that is said today. We have a few papers to add to the file as well, depending on how things go."

The lawyers all looked up at me, except the head lawyer, who was still avoiding my gaze. He looked at Jack instead. "Um, Mr. McLoughlin, are you sure you're comfortable discussing these matters with all these other people here?"

Jack gave him a steady look, almost incredulous and somehow slightly angry as well. "I invited them. Of course I'm sure. And ye best be either meeting ALL our eyes or having someone else talk. I don't trust ye after last time." I moved my hand from Jack's neck to rest it on one of his hands, still on my baby bump, gently squeezing it, trying to silently reassure him and keep him calm. Jack looked at me with a small sigh. "All right, love. I'll try not ta get worked up, for ye and tha babies."

The sole woman on the team smiled at me and winked. "Well, that's telling. By the way, how are you doing, [y/n]? Are you and the babies doing well?"

I shifted a little in my seat, the babies kicking up into high activity again. "I'm alright. The babies are doing quite well, as far as the doctors could tell at my last appointment. I have another one later today, when we'll get to see the ultrasound of them and possibly the genders of all the babies. But it's getting hard to move around and I'm in a good bit of pain, so I'm using the wheelchair, to help with both problems. Thank you for asking. Now, let's focus on the matters at hand, shall we? What's going on with Jack's VISA? Has it been renewed, or do I need to step things up?"

The legal team all looked at me suddenly, and blinked. The head lawyer even seemed to forget his fear of me. "Step things up? What do you mean?"

I looked at all of them, carefully. "I mean, I haven't really gotten too involved in this battle yet. If the US government thinks Jack will be easy to deport quietly, they are one thousand percent wrong, and I intend to show them that. I have plans that will go into effect as soon as we leave this room, should you inform me that this matter is still unresolved or that Jack still needs to leave. So? Do I need to get things moving?"

The woman lawyer grinned. "Well, that's not completely what we expected to hear, but I had some suspicions. And no, this isn't totally resolved. We managed to get Jack an additional three month extension, because of the babies, but the person in charge of his case is trying to play hardball. He's decided Jack isn't really the father of your children and shouldn't be allowed to stay based solely on that, unless we can prove otherwise."

I took a deep breath to keep from yelling. Jack and Mark both looked at me, hearing the sharp intake of air, and shivered, both of them recognizing the anger building in me. I reached behind me and pulled out the folder from my bag. In a surprisingly calm voice, if somewhat coldly, I addressed the legal team again. "I see. Before this meeting ends, I will need at least one of you to provide me the name of the man who is handling Jack's case."

The head lawyer shook his head. "We can't do that. It wouldn't be professional."

I looked at him, letting just a little of the anger boiling through me show in my eyes. He shrunk back in his seat. "I beg your pardon? How is it unprofessional to ask for the name of the person handling our case?" The words, dripping with ice, dropped from my lips with an almost audible clanking sound, the sound of someone's approaching doom, if they had the sense to hear it.

The lawyer blinked. "Um. Not _your_ , case. Mr. McLoughlin's case. You don't actually have any legal say in this."

I crossed my arms and gave him a tight, frozen smile. "Actually, I do." I slid the marriage certificate and change of name papers over to the legal team, who were watching me like a mouse watches a hawk, looking more than slightly terrified but fascinated all the same. "As you can see, we're legally married to each other now, instead of just being engaged, as we were last time we were sitting here. And those papers have already been filed with the state, both the marriage license and the name change documentation. So, yes, I can DEMAND that information. And yes, it is OUR case." Jack turned his hand in mine, squeezing gently now, a reminder for me to stay calm, for the babies sakes'. I looked at him. He was biting his lip, his anxiety still clear on his face. I closed my eyes for a few seconds and fought the rage building up down, packing it into a tight little ball I could set aside for the moment. When I felt less enraged, I looked back over at the lawyers, who were reading the papers I had handed over carefully. I waited.

The woman looked back up at me. "Well, well. You certainly do like to surprise us, don't you? Anything else we should know before we continue?"

I gave her a rather bland look. "Listen, as I said, I have so many layers of plans, you can't even fathom all of them. Yes, I have more things you should know." I pulled put the copies of the letters offering us citizenships to the half dozen or so countries that had offered it to us so far. Then I pulled out the letter offering Mark free dual citizenship. "This one should be started right away. Unless it's too much trouble for the lot of you? I can handle it directly with the Irish office of Naturalization and Immigration if it is. They have already contacted me several times."

The legal team as a group all blushed brightly and ducked their heads, trying to hide embarrassment at being called out for not doing their jobs better, I just sat back and crossed my arms. I heard Felix snort with amusement as he watched. I looked at Jack again. Jack smiled at me and rested his head on my shoulder again. "Thank ye, love. For handling everything so well and staying in control. I know ye're angry, and with good reason, but ye're doing a damn good job keeping a lid on it, for tha babies and me." He leaned forward a little and kissed my neck, by where his head was resting. I sighed and let some of the tension and anger flow away, just letting it go. I felt his smile brighten against the skin of my throat. I squeezed his hand again, lightly. 

Bob broke the remaining tension on our side of the table by leaning forward to whisper to us. "You're awesome at this. Holy crap. You have all of them so off balance and scrambling and you haven't even started yet, knowing you. Remind me if I ever need legal help to bring you along. This is great."

I grinned back at him. Mark and Jack chuckled, starting to relax now that I wasn't looking like the angel of death with prey in my sights (which is how they described my angry look to me later). Mark rested his bad arm against the babies and rubbed his fingers lightly over a spot where the babies seemed to be rolling around a lot, just gently distracting them, and me, and soothing all of us. Jack still had both arms around me, his hands resting on the babies, mostly, his right hand still in mine. I took another deep breath and mentally squared my shoulders, facing the lawyers again, a few degrees less angry but no less cold to them. "Now, are you going to tell me exactly who is handling **our** case, or do I need to fire all of you and have you fired from the show as well? Believe me, I can, and will, do it. All of you are supposed to represent the show on all non- show business related matters, and this is really the first larger one to come up. The whole company has been watching to see how you do, and so far, it's been an entirely underwhelming performance." I smiled, a wolf smile, all teeth and claws, no warmth at all. "And the owner of the company regularly asks my opinion on a variety of things. I am not at all shy about voicing my thoughts. Just as a warning."

The legal team flinched and squirmed. The woman lawyer, shook her head looking over the papers. "Um, I think I can help you, if you trust me enough to handle this on my own. I can work with you more closely and will dedicate my time just to this case, if that's what it takes."

I looked at Jack, an eyebrow raised. He shrugged at me. I glanced over at Mark, who just waved a hand for me to handle it. I looked at her more closely. "Well, if we are going to be working that closely, I'll need your name. None of you ever bothered to provide us with names. I can't just keep thinking of you as the only woman lawyer."

She smiled brighter, almost a grin, as she came around the table to shake our hands. "I'm Tara. Tara Nickles." 

I offered her a more normal smile and shook her hand. "Well, then, hello Tara. You know who we are, I think. Now, if you don't mind, I think we have some things to discuss, including what to do next." She nodded at me, her smile never leaving her face. I looked over at the other lawyers, who were all still looking frozen in place. My smile dropped, the ice creeping back over my expression. "The rest of you can get the fuck out of this meeting. It's a private matter and I don't need incompetent assholes eavesdropping on our plans. Goodbye."

Our group waited until the rest of the lawyers trouped out, looking chagrined, scared, and embarrassed. Tara grinned at me openly now. "Wow. I think I'm going to like working with you. Those idiots drive me crazy and treat me like I can't really be any good at my job, just because I haven't been a lawyer as long as some of them, and I'm a woman." 

Bob and Felix laughed. Bob piped up a comment. "Yeah, I saw that a lot in my legal classes. Personally, I never understood it. And [Y/N] is sharper and scarier then the rest of them combined and she doesn't have a legal degree."

I smirked at him. "Yeah, well, that wasn't what I planned on doing for the rest of my life, thank you very much." I blushed faintly. "Actually, if I was still doing what I went to college for, I'd be an electrical engineer. But anyway, Tara, this is Bob and Felix, two of our close friends, and fellow cast members. I'm sure you already knew that though." She nodded and waved a hand at them, and they just waved back.

Tara looked back at Jack, Mark, and I again. "Okay, from what I'm seeing, you have so much legally relevant documentation that there's almost no way your case should be denied. Honestly, I'm a little surprised it has been up to this point, or I would be if I didn't suspect the head of the department, Mr. Brown, wasn't sending in all the papers and documentation you've been providing us. I think he was going to try to make this look like he pulled off a single handed, eleventh hour save. Which is total garbage, by the way. He has barely looked at the papers you've given us, if what I've seen is correct. I've been the only one who's looked it over. We have to go to the server and log in what files we're accessing, you know, for security and billing purposes, and my information is the only one that has appeared except for right before the last meeting with you and this morning at nine am when everyone logged in to look it over again. I've been the one adding all the papers you gave us and following up with your dual citizenship, [Y/N]. By the way, you made that super streamlined and easy, so thank you. I barely had to do anything, other than check in on the status of things a few times. So, what was your plan for what to do next?"

I smiled again, a relaxed and happy smile, realizing we finally had someone who gave a shit working with us. It strengthened my resolve to get the rest of the legal team replaced, or at least the head of the department and the 'senior' lawyers. "Oh, I have a few plans. Like I mentioned earlier, I have Jack wrapped up in so many layers of red tape, it's going to be damn near impossible to send him away without our cooperation." He shivered a little against me, at the very thought of being forced to leave. My free hand came up and went around him, holding him close to me. "First and foremost though, we want to file for dual citizenship for him. Jack should be able to get it easily. He's been in the country, legally, for over three years, sponsored by the company. He's got four daughters who are natural born citizens, with one parent who's also a natural born citizen. He's married to me now."

Jack sat up a little now, smiling happily at me. "Love, that should always be tha first argument ye use, not tha last. And ye know I didn't marry ye just ta become a dual citizen."

My hand, the one that had been wrapped around him a moment ago, went up and cupped his cheek. "Seán, my love, my husband of two days, I never said it was the reason. Calm down, please, sweetie. You know I love you. I know you love me. No one was questioning that. Shh."

Jack nodded. "As long as ye remember that. Really." He resumed his spot against my shoulder. I squeezed his hand again. He smiled happily and sighed, releasing some of the tension and stress I was feeling running through him. 

I smiled a little sadly at him. "I wish this hadn't happened right now, Seán. You're under so much stress, I know it's bad for you."

He smiled at me, lopsidedly. "Yeah, well, it's not exactly good for ye either, love. Or tha eight babies ye are working on growing." His free hand rubbed my belly again, ending up rested next to Mark's fingers, intertwining softly as they both smiled at each other now. 

Tara chuckled. "Well, I can certainly start the paperwork for this today. I doubt it will take more than a few weeks to hear back, and with the three month extension you had already, it should be in place well before then. Now, what else did you have planned?"

I grinned. "I like you. My next plan starts this afternoon. We're mobilizing all our fanbases. All four channels and all the associated social media accounts. That's well over twenty million viewers, even taking into account all the overlap between our channels and the fans who won't join in the pressure campaign for one reason or another. I figured that the number of people we could rally, flooding the US government with pleas to let Jack stay, to not attempt to break up our family, and just making noise and pressuring the government, might be enough to sway a few minds, even of very stubborn people. And if that wasn't enough, I planned to ask our friends to involve their fanbases as well and have all the fans send letter to their own governments, if they weren't US citizens, to put international pressure on our case. And I'm vlogging and documenting everything, very publicly. After that, my next move would be to call our case representative. I plan on doing so over Skype or Discord and recording it, with his consent, to push out as another vlog. I am basically going to make this as open and public a spectacle as I can, without stepping on anyone's toes. Jack's already agreed to it, at least the making everything transparent and publicly posted." I smiled, a tight viper's smile, at no one in particular. "Oh, and I plan to 'leak' a press article about our marriage, with a follow-up vlog for 'damage-control' next week. I plan to tell the fans, yes we got married, to help Jack's case, but our big wedding would still be happening, and yes, we are still planning to record and upload that to one of our channels after it happens. I'll explain nothing has changed for us, except we have legal protection now, which was the only reason we moved the date up, other than to also be married before these babies were born. I have no doubts about who the fathers are, and I know the guys don't either, but I'm hoping a little of the hate I got the first time I was pregnant might not come our way, if we are married. Even if Mark is the father of all eight babies. We're all committed to each other and raising our kids together. Nothing will change that, at least not that I can think of."

Felix smiled at us. "Yeah, you bros are a family, whether or not you are legally tied together or not. And those daughters of yours are every bit each one of yours. It's obvious, when you look at them, who their biological fathers are, but they are all the children of all three of you. And Marzia and I will definitely be throwing our fanbases and support your way too. This is a really solid plan. I had no idea you had so much detail thought out already."

I snorted and grinned. "That's your own fault then. You know how much I plan things. And since I can't be up and running around doing the three million things I normally do everyday, my brain has been picking up the slack. That's why the pregnancy brain I've been dealing with for the last few days is so frustrating. It keeps making me lose focus and keeps distracting me."

Jack smiled at me and lifted his head up long enough to shake it gently. "Love, I think yer brain might just be protesting ye overworking it. Tha hormones aren't helping, but I doubt all of tha stress is either. Or tha fact ye are barely sleeping and in a load of pain all tha time. I do appreciate all tha plans ye've made for me though. I know ye have more, still in yer back pocket, ta keep pulling out if these don't do enough. And Mark and I are more than willing ta step up and help with these things too. Just keep that in mind, okay?"

I nodded. Tara laughed, softly. "Well, go ahead with those plans. They should definitely help get your case prioritized and pushed through fast. Oh, and save anything else you might have planned for a little while. You might not need it, and what you have already done should keep everyone busy for long enough to put more things in place if we need to." She smiled and looked down at her papers, then sighed. "I wish all my clients were as on top of things as the three of you. Or, should I say, [Y/N]. I suspect you're the one on top of things here. Now, is there anything else I can do for the three of you to help right now? Other than providing your case manager name and phone number to call him?"

We shook our head. Tara nodded and started to stand up. I stopped her with a hand. "Thank you. Really. I know I'm a little hard to deal with sometimes, especially right now, with the hormones and getting overly emotional and angry. You've been great. I'll make sure when I talk to the company owner and Vicki to mention you were the only one who actually offered to help. And if, for some reason, you do lose your job over this debacle, come find one of us. We just started a company of our own, to manage all our channels and business stuff, outside the show, and could use a legal expert. It might not be a full time job to start, but it would certainly be a stop gap, until you could find something else. And you could work on our case more directly, if it comes down to us having to leave the US because of things not going our way with Jack's case. I know it's still a possibility, despite everything I can do to stop it, so having someone who could help us get back to the US after the fact would be a big relief."

Tara smiled hugely, a faint blush creeping over her cheeks. "Wow. I'll definitely take you up on that if I need to. Thank you. And really, I understood why you were so pissed. I would have been too. It looked like the whole group of us were just sitting on our thumbs, not doing anything to help you. I was working behind the scenes as much as I could, but I didn't, and still might not yet, have the authority to do much."

I nodded. "Well, that changes today. Do you have hard copies of all our documents that you can access?" She nodded. "Good. Hang on to them for a while. I'm going to go meet with Vicki. The legal team no longer has access to our files online, and won't get it back, except you. By the end of the day, I'm fairly sure there will be an ad out for a whole new team to work with you. Those guys were assholes and useless."

Tara blinked. "Okay. Thanks for the warning. Actually, there is one guy, Jon, who's a good guy also. He's been helping me. Can you stick up for him too?"

I smiled. "Go find him and bring him in to meet us. You're going to need the help with our case. If he's worth keeping, we can see it for ourselves. That way too, if Vicki questions us, we can answer honestly."

Tara nodded and smiled again. "I'll be right back. Don't leave yet please." We nodded. I sighed and rested my head on top of Jack's, most of the remaining tension and stress flowing out of me. Jack grinned when he felt me relax and he turned his head so he could kiss my cheek. Mark patted both of us on the back and patted my baby bump.

Felix smiled at us. "Well, this was certainly educational. [Y/N], you really did have Jack's back, didn't you? Jeez, I had no idea just how much you had in the works. No wonder you bros were all stressing so bad. And I'm going to talk to Marzia. The three of you should have more than just two nights without your daughters, if you want. We can watch them for a few more nights, or get some help if it's too much for us."

Bob nodded. "Yeah, Mandy and I can even take them for a night or two, if you need us to. They like visiting us, and we've got Ken, Mary, Wade, Molly, Danny, Arin, and Suzy all right there if things get out of hand."

I giggled. "And Eddie and Ray, unless they haven't been home lately? Ray mentioned he was going to be working evenings and wanted Eddie to do some wedding planning with him around that and go out on a few dates, since he felt a little neglected."

Bob grinned. "Um, I forgot he was there, to be honest. And I don't really know if they're home lately or not. But you guys clearly need more help with things, and a few days of alone time would be good for all three of you." He winked at us. "And it's not like you can get pregnant or anything at this point."

I grinned and rubbed a hand over the babies. "Nope. Already there. Thanks guys. Honestly, we have all been feeling a bit worn down. And today isn't even half over. We still have to meet with Vicki about this mess with the legal team, get lunch and meet back up with everyone else, go to my doctor's appointment, which we should get to see the babies and maybe find out genders, and head home to have the kids' Halloween party at five this evening. Oh, and we should meet with Robin, Ethan, Kathryn, and Tyler, just to check in, before we go to bed tonight. And tomorrow's looking pretty busy too." I sighed again and closed my eyes. "Meh. Somebody stop the world for a while, I want to get off the ride and take a nap. At least Sunday should be a little more quiet. Just a little vlogging for the shared channel and mine, about the babies, and maybe another video or something, and possibly the beginning of the training for the editors. But that might get pushed to next week."

Jack pressed anther kiss into my neck, making me open my eyes again. "Love, ye better just rest on Sunday. Mark and I are going ta make sure ye don't overwork and I want ta spend some quiet time with ye both. Especially since tha girls will be away. Tha channels and vlogs can wait. So can tha editing team training. Besides, ye have Adam helping ta train Robin. Maybe ye should see if ye can get Gary ta come out for a day or two ta train Ethan and Kathryn, or at least help train them. Ye really do need ta focus on yer own health and getting rested a little, before tha next disaster hits or tha babies drain tha rest of yer reserves."

I sighed and looked down. I caught Jack's eye. He just watched me, not saying anything, until I nodded. Then he simply kissed me again. Mark hummed a soft sound of approval as well. I grabbed my cell phone and texted out a quick message to the IT department to freeze the legal department access to our files. Then I closed my eyes again while we waited for Tara to come back with Jon. After he was introduced, Tara explained our plans. Jon listened quietly and made a few notes, then nodded thoughtfully and offered a few, very good, ideas of his own, including having me tell the fans the name of the man who was handling our case. Both Jon and Tara felt like I was firmly in control of our end, and told me so, offering to talk anytime I needed, and promised frequent, if not weekly, updates on what was going on on their end. Jack and I both relaxed even more, and I knew Mark was letting a lot of stress go too, from the way his arm relaxed against us and the pattern he was rubbing on my tummy. Jon offered Jack and I congratulations on our marriage and the babies, something he hadn't been allowed to do before because he had been informed he was to work 'silently' on the case, not being allowed to attend the meetings in person, but still expected to know everything that was said and happened. I growled out an angry response at that, cursing the rest of the legal team who was involved under my breath. After about half an hour, Jon and Tara stood up and wished us a good day, telling me they would start the dual citizenship papers as soon as they left, giving me their email addresses and getting mine, and giving me the name of the man who was handling Jack's immigration case (Duncan Wilson) and his phone number. I thanked them both as they left the room. We were all quiet for a minute, each thinking our own thoughts. Finally Mark broke the silence. "Babe, we better go. We have a lot to cover still today, especially if you need to meet with Vicki. We have to leave the office by one to make it to Doctor Sara's for your two o'clock appointment and it's already half past eleven."

I looked at the clock and nodded. "Yeah, you're right. I'll tell you what though, Mark. Why don't you go with Felix and Bob back down to my office and let everyone know what's going on. Jack and I can handle things with Vicki. I doubt it will take long anyway, then we'll head down, grab some food, talk to everyone over lunch, and head out for the doctor. Does that sound okay?"

Mark smiled wryly. "I guess. Give me a kiss before you go slay those legal dragons though, okay? You have been a knight in armor today, for sure."

I chuckled. "I feel more like I'm the dragon, about to go roast some worthless pigs. But thanks for the vote of confidence." I pulled myself away from Jack long enough to lean over and kiss Mark, a fairly innocent kiss, keeping in mind our friends were watching us. Then I looked back at Jack. "Are you doing all right, Seán? You're being very quiet. I know this wasn't the news you were hoping to hear, even if I kind of suspected this was how it was going to go down, or at least that there would be a problem."

Jack looked up at me, from the spot he had been staring at on the floor. "Lass... I don't know what ta think right now. Ye handled everything for me. But how did ye know?"

I chuckled without mirth. "I always plan for the worst, hope for the best. And I had the feeling, after our last meeting with legal, that we were dealing with a bunch of self-righteous douche bags. The kinds of morons who think making themselves look important is more critical than doing their jobs correctly. So I had everything done, every step of the way, as much as I could, just to prove myself right. I also did some checking into things, behind their backs. They are tools. Now, let's go get their asses fired." Jack smiled at me, shaking his head. I grinned almost ferally. 

He snorted. "Ye are far too gleeful about this."

I let my teeth show in my smile now. "This is why my fans think I have a dark side. And these dickheads need fired. I would bet money at least one of them is in whining to Vicki right this minute, about how I treated them poorly and to ignore anything I say to her, blaming it all on my pregnancy and hormonal state. They might even try to get _me_ fired." I smiled a shark's smile now. "Let them try."

The men in the room all shivered. Felix swore. "Shit, you can be scary. Remind me never to cross you. Jesus."

I laughed, sounding somewhat evil. "Yeah, well, let's just say, if they are in there now, I have a few more surprises for them. I recorded this whole session. And I have the owner of the company and producers on speed dial, with a message sent to them this morning they I might want to conference call them after this meeting ended. Let's go see if Vicki's office is empty or if I need to rain down wrath on some unsuspecting shitheads."

Jack leaned over and kissed my cheek. "As long as ye say calm."

I raised an eyebrow, smirking a little. "Oh, I'm calm. I'm having fun right now. Righteous fury, if you can even call it fury, is all I'm feeling towards them right now. They have no idea the shit storm about to descend on them, and it makes me happy to see bad people getting justice. And I told you the other day, I wield the Sword of Damocles against the people who threatened you with it, Seán."

Bob laughed. "Wow, great reference." I grinned at him, nodding my head briefly. "Now, Mark, Felix, let's go. I want to hear about what she does to these idiots, but later, from a safe distance." Bob stood up and pushed Mark's wheelchair out the door and down the hall. Felix hesitated for a few seconds, looking at Jack and I. He suddenly stepped forward, hugged Jack, then blushed and ran down the hall.

Jack blinked, somewhat confused. "Why did he do that?"

I reached over and grabbed one of Jack's hands. "Seán, he's been worried sick about you. He just doesn't express things well, so sometimes he does those things. I'm pretty sure that was just because he was glad things were okay, for now, and you wouldn't be forced out of the country unexpectedly."

Jack blinked slowly again, then turned to me. "That's thanks ta ye. Now, let's go. Mark was right. We do have a load more shit ta get through before tha day's over." I sighed and nodded, resting my head against Jack's arm as he pushed my wheelchair out the door, smiling down at me. As we approached Vicki's office I smirked up at Jack. We could see and hear several members of the legal team in her office, yelling at her, clearly trying to mitigate the damage, or so they though. I schooled my expression to neutrality and sat up as straight as I could manage in the wheelchair as Jack and I waited, informing the secretary we wished to speak to Vicki as soon as she was free, but that we were video conference calling the producers and company owner now, while we waited. The secretary grinned at me and nodded, waiting for the lawyers to stop yelling and Jack and I to actually start the phone conversation before she buzzed Vicki. As soon as she relayed the message, Vicki's office went dead silent. 

Meanwhile, Jack and I were talking, somewhat quietly, to the owner and producers of the show. They all greeted us, in a very friendly manner, having expected the call, and asked how things were going. I looked at Jack, who waved me on. "Not all that well. You need to replace the entire legal team with competent lawyers, except for Jon and Tara. The entire team was assigned to look over Jack's VISA issue and handle filing some basic paperwork for us, to keep Jack from being deported, and were it not for Tara and Jon, Jack would still have to leave in December. As it stands, he has an additional three months to make his case, but the two of them don't have the authority to work on the case, because the head of the team is pulling rank. We fired the rest of the team from his case already, but..."

The owner yelled. "What?!? What the hell were they doing? Why are we paying them if they aren't doing their jobs?"

I sighed. "I think they were trying to pull a last minute rescue, to make it look like they had pulled off a miracle, but instead they were just putting Jack's legal status at risk here in the US. And the other papers we had filed, Tara handled personally. The entire legal team pretty much ignored everything I laid out for them, even though I provided more than sufficient documentation to prevent this problem in the first place. I'm even beginning to wonder if maybe they never filed Jack's VISA renewal, either on time or, more probably, at all. We never did get a satisfactory explanation of why this all came up in the first place, and it makes an awful, twisted kind of sense, from what I've seen so far from them. I recorded today's meeting, and will send email copies to each of you, so you can hear exactly what was said before you make any final decisions, but at very least, I want them all as far off Mark's, Jack's, and my legal matters as we can manage. Oh, and the whole bunch of them went in to talk to Vicki while I was actually meeting with Jon and Tara and getting things fixed. Jon wasn't even allowed to come to the meetings before today, as a junior member of the team, but he was expected to know everything that was said and do all the legal leg work. He and Tara are the only ones currently who have access to physical copies of our documents and files, and I want them to be the only ones with digital access as well. I'm sorely tempted to sue the rest of the team for causing us undue stress and emotional damages, especially while I'm carrying a high risk pregnancy like this. I'm sure the stress is what caused Jack's kidney issues to develop and that caused his blood pressure and heart issues. And the stress is part of what cause Mark to have his accident, because he wasn't thinking clearly and worried about everything." I knew Vicki had been conferenced in on audio only, and from the dead silence in her office, I could practically hear the lawyers sweating. I looked at Jack, an evil glint in my eye. "In fact, the only reason I haven't already started that legal proceeding is because I wanted to let you all know before I did something that might look like I was attacking the show."

I heard nervous throat clearing from the other end of the line, but I wasn't sure who it was. Vicki finally broke the tense silence. "I... see. [Y/N], Jack, you better come in and talk to us. Um, boss, I'll call you later and let you know where things stand then."

The owner made a 'Humph' noise and crossed her arms. "You better call me back, as soon as you get through this meeting, Vicki. And call back the producers here as well. [Y/N] knows who to call to get things done, as always. Jack, [Y/N], we're very sorry to hear what's been going on. I swear by the end of the day, someone will have gotten back to you about this. Will you be in the office all day today?"

"No, I have a doctor's visit this afternoon, to check on the babies. And possibly to find out their genders." I smiled, my expression softening. "After that, we have a Halloween event for the girls we have to go to. Four toddlers don't care about what else has to be done in the adult world, and honestly, it will probably be a good distraction for us anyway." I sighed. "Oh, and one final bit of news, but this is happy, so don't worry. Jack and I got legally married on Wednesday. We aren't announcing it, exactly, or really doing anything about it, because we still want to have the big ceremony with family and friends, that we film and post, but it won't be until later, possibly not even until next fall. But it very likely will come out in the news, and it might effect the show, so I thought I'd let you know now."

"Congratulations, you two. How does Mark feel about that?"

I smiled as I looked at Jack. He grinned back. "He's happy for tha two of us, ma'am. He was one of tha witnesses at tha courthouse. And we've filed for a legal name change, but not for business stuff, just for personal life. We want everyone ta have tha same last name as tha girls. Even Mark's going ta file in a few days, once tha dust settles for us a bit. For now though, it's just my wife and I, and tha girls, who are McLoughlin- Fischbach's."

I smiled brighter when Jack called me his wife, leaning into him. He pressed a kiss on my cheek, smiling brightly himself, happy to see me so happy and relaxed. One of the producers voiced a comment that made us grin too. "Well, the two of you are adorable together, and personally, I wish you nothing but happiness. Now, do you want us to change the title crawl to your new legal names, at least for the rest of the season and going forward for whenever you're on the show? And are you willing to stay with us, if we can get this worked out?"

I looked at Jack with a small shrug. He mirrored the gesture. "Well, we won't say no, and demand to leave, but we can't say yes right now either. Things are just too unresolved for us to decide if we can stay with the show. But yes, definitely change my name on the credit scroll. That's a great idea. And it will help confirm the idea in the public's eye, that this was just a quiet legal change to help keep Jack here, if we do it without making a fuss over it. And I am staying with the show, as head of the department, at least at the moment, even if we do have to leave the country."

Jack looked surprised for a second. "Ye might as well change my name on there too then. Thank ye for suggesting it, and being patient with all my immigration bullshit."

We saw everyone chuckle. One of the producers answered the comment for the whole group. "It's hardly your fault, either of you. You have done everything you could, in good faith, to get this resolved correctly and with as little impact to the show as possible. Most people wouldn't be nearly so accommodating in your places, we know. Now, you two go meet with Vicki and talk this out a little. Oh, and are you going to post the images of your babies online anywhere?"

I smiled. "Probably. I'm planning to vlog about it on Sunday or Monday, including the girls' reactions to seeing the babies genders, and hopefully, I'll have ultrasound video to post with it, or before hand, if I can squeeze the time in somewhere. It should be going up either on my channel or the family channel, as soon as I can get the spare minute to record and edit things."

That got another chuckle from the producers and a concerned look from Jack. He didn't say anything this time though, instead just reaching over and rubbing my belly tenderly. The producer who had asked me about the pictures smiled again. "Good. I'll be looking forward to seeing them. And you two, and Mark, should take a little bit of a break. I know we kind of have you in stand-by for the show, but seriously, you should take a week or two off completely. Danica can manage the department for you, [Y/N]. I know it won't be a proper honeymoon for you guys, what with YouTube and your kids, but at least it will be a little less crazy for the three of you. Focus on yourselves, for a change. We'll call you if anything changes and we desperately need you to come in, or there's a major issue."

I looked at Jack. He nodded, looking determined. I sighed and shrugged. "Okay, I guess we can do that. Jack certainly seems to want to. Thank you." With that resolved, the producers and owner said quick goodbyes and ended the call. 

Vicki stepped out of her office and waved us in. She blinked when she saw me in the wheelchair, looking as pregnant as I did. "Wow. You certainly have gotten bigger since the last time I saw you, [Y/N]. Are you going to be in the wheelchair for the rest of the pregnancy again?"

I gave her a wry smile. "Probably. I can get up and down now, but it hurts, because of how fast everything is shifting and growing from the babies, and I need to keep everyone safe, so I started using the chair this morning. I actually have to check with the doctor about it this afternoon. I'm going to end up on total bed rest before the babies get here, unless they are really, really early, which I'm trying to avoid. Stress definitely isn't helping that. And I thought you saw us when we headed over to legal this morning?"

Vicki smiled. "Um, I saw Jack and Mark going past. I think you must have already been wheeled by before I noticed. Now come on in here and talk to me. These idiots have been feeding me an obvious line about how unreasonable you were being and how emotional and hormonal you are."

I looked at Jack, the wicked glint coming back to my eye. He just shook his head at me and waved a hand, resigned to my accurate predictions, then pushed me into Vicki's office, taking a seat next to me, close to the door. "I thought so. Here." I handed her a tape from a tape recorder. She looked at it blankly for a few seconds. "That's a copy of the audio of our meeting. I have a digital copy as well, that I recorded separately. You'll be able to hear EXACTLY who said what and when. What it boils down to is the men in your office are off our legal team. I won't work with them anymore. I never want to see them again, if I'm honest. They treated us very badly, and as I mentioned on the call, I suspect they actually caused this problem in the first place and have been sabotaging the efforts to get it resolved, both through inaction and through actively disregarding what I tell them and going against our wishes by not filing the requested papers." I crossed my arms. 

Vicki looked over at the lawyers. "What do you morons have to say about those claims, hmm? Keep in mind, we will be checking into this."

The lawyers all looked at each other and closed their mouths, except the head lawyer. He crossed his arms, smirking slightly back at me, clearly thinking I was unprepared for any arguments. "And where do these baseless allegations come from, exactly? What proof do you have of this supposed wrong-doing?"

I turned to them, allowing my mask of tranquility to slip and the burning, incandescent, cold rage residing just below the surface of my emotions to show a little, making the smile drop from his face like a lead- weighted balloon dropped from a fifth- story window. I leaned forward just slightly and smiled a lethal- looking grin, making the men in front of me squirm a little and tremble in their seats. "Simple. I have all the emails I received back and forth from you, all of you, with the time and stamps and read receipts, the evidence of the log file of who accessed the files and when, audio recordings of every meeting I have ever had with you, including phone conversations, and the word of other employees. Vicki, I already sent a request over to IT to lock the legal server, at least our files, and not allow anyone in the legal department access until you or I gave the go ahead, so things couldn't be tampered with. My accusations are hardly groundless. Oh, and I have the name of the man who is handling Jack's case with the department of Immigration now, as well as his contact information. I fully intend to call him and find out exactly what you did or did not do and with whom he spoke to from the department. I highly doubt he's going to be willing to lie for you gentlemen, particularly when I start leveling the big guns at him. International political pressure can be a very effective weapon to wield, you know."

Every single man on the legal team flinch and all the color drained from their faces. One of them, the youngest looking one, turned on the head lawyer and spat out venomously, "You said she wouldn't be able to figure any of this out. I'm not going to jail for your bullshit you know."

I turned to him, fast as a snake, a smile that was all teeth on my face. "Oh? You have a story or two you want to share to save your own hide? I suggest you talk to Vicki then. It might stop me from getting litigious against you, but I sincerely doubt it will save your job at this point. You boys well and truly backed into the trap I set after I started to figure things out." I chuckled coldly. "Oh, and in case any of you doubted it, I already talked, extensively to Irish immigration. I know who handled my paperwork, getting it filed, and the two of you who sabotaged it, or attempted to. I didn't trust any of you by then already, mostly because I suspected you fouled up Jack's renewal, either through utter incompetence or malicious intent so you could swoop in and save things. We'll see what my digging finds about that shall we? It is against the law to mess with some of the things you have messed around in, and I mean international laws, not just US law. So I think getting disbarred isn't out of the question, and neither is jail time. We'll just have to see how things shake out."

Vicki was biting her cheek, trying, and failing, to hide the amusement she had over my berating the lawyers, who looked sick now and ready to piss themselves out of fear. Jack just looked worried about me. When I noticed, I let as much of the anger as I could, go, turning to face Jack again. Jack patted my hand. "Thank ye love. For everything, but especially for trying ta calm back down. I know once ye get a full head of anger built up on ye, it can take days ta fully let it go, if ye even can. Ye're doing great so far."

I turned to Vicki with a slightly sour expression. "I'm going to let you handle this, for now, from here on out. You have everything I had on this, or will by the end of the day. Let me know if you want to talk about any of this some more. I need to get out of this toxic environment now though, for my own sanity and the sake of these babies." Vicki nodded. "Oh, and I think I'm going to have to insist on you firing all of these men, for utter incompetence, if nothing else. I'd do it today, if I were you, before they have the chance to sabotage anyone else on the show. Imagine if it had been PewDiePie who they had done this too. Felix is far more litigious minded than we are, and I'm still seriously considering seeking damages." I smiled a razor thin smile. "Although, if I'm completely honest, what I really want to do is beat the ever-loving crap out of each of them first, then turn them all over to the courts and let them pick their bones clean." 

Vicki flinched slightly at my warning. The lawyers all paled even further. I think one of them actually did piss himself at that point too. Jack just leaned over and kissed my cheek, very gently. "Come on, my dear wife, let's go talk ta our friends and get ye fed. Ye can get a little irritable if ye don't eat and tha babies need tha food anyway. We still have a lot ta do today." I nodded and reached my hand up to rest on his as he pushed the wheelchair out the door and down the hall to the elevator. I sighed, my eyes closing, my whole body deflating like a balloon with a slow leak or a puppet with it's strings cut when the doors closed, a headache nagging at the backs of my eyes. Jack was in front of me like a shot. "Love? Are ye okay?"

I opened one eye and looked at him, wearily. "Yeah. I'm just exhausted and have a headache, but I'm okay. I suspect the headache is from fighting back the rage. I need a nap. And some food would be a good idea." Jack rested a hand on my cheek, gently stroking his thumb along my jaw. I rested my head on it, leaning into his touch. "Sorry to fall apart on you now. I'm just so done with all this bullshit. None of us deserve any of it."

Jack smiled at me. "No, we don't. And it's no wonder ye're exhausted, love. Ye've been so strong for us, these last few months. Ye deserve a break." When the elevator doors opened, Jack reluctantly let me go and walked around behind the wheelchair again, pushing me down the hall to my office and rolling me in. Mark was the only one there right now. Jack lifted me out of the wheelchair and settled us on one of the couches, next to Mark, cuddling in close to me. I immediately, melted into both men, trying to bury my stress or let it go. Jack smiled and started rubbing my back, gently. I whimpered slightly in relief as the knots in my back started to release under his touch. Mark smiled and ran a hand through my hair, then started massaging my scalp and temples, feeling the tension in my head. I closed my eyes and just let them work in silence until everyone came back into the room with lunch. Apparently, they had all decided to treat us, and had cancelled Jack's order from the cafe, instead ordering Chinese food for all of us and going to get it. The guys and I ate as we explained the rest of what had happened and what was going to happen. By ten minutes to one o'clock, everyone was caught up and Jack turned back to me again. "Lass, we have ta go ta yer appointment now. Are ye ready?"

I smiled at him and nodded. "Yeah. Let's go see these babies. Um, Eddie? Can you manage to pull yourself away for the afternoon and come with us? Jack's going to need the help to get Mark and I into the doctor's office, and I'd love for you to be able to see the babies with us, if you want to."

Eddie beamed at me. "Of course I want to! Let me just go check in and make sure someone else can cover the sound checks for the afternoon. I already asked the boss about it the other day, figuring you guys might need the moral support after dealing with legal, but he never got back to me. Give me five minutes." I nodded. Jack started shifting me to the wheelchair, making sure I was bundled up under blankets since a major chill had settled in for me after this morning's emotional wringing out. By the time Eddie got back, Jack was helping Mark get settled in the other wheelchair and I was all settled. Eddie smiled. "It's all set. Vicki saw me and told me she would take care of things. My boss was still on lunch." Eddie stepped over behind Mark and got ready to push the chair out the door, leaving Jack to push me. I smiled at all three men.

"Thanks, Eddie. Hey, do you mind driving, too? That way Jack can sit in the back with Mark and I and help me get the babies to settle down a little. They are being very squirmy today and kicking so much it's starting to hurt again."

Eddie nodded. "Sure, sis. Sorry the babies are being so wild."

I sighed. "Unfortunately, I'm getting used to it, with these little beans. They have been so incredibly active ever since they started moving in a way I could feel them, it's almost ridiculous. I just hope the guys can get them calm for a little while. Them talking, singing, and rubbing my belly seem to be the magic needed to soothe the babies for a while, when anything works. I just wish the babies would let me sleep better. At least one of them always seems to be awake and moving around."

Jack leaned forward and rubbed my belly. "Shh, babies ye need ta let Momma relax and rest." Jack snagged a quick kiss from me. "And love, it would be perfect ta sit with ye and Mark in tha back seat and snuggle. We like it when ye let us calm tha babies."

I yawned. "Good. I'll let you handle that then. I might try to catch a short catnap in the car, on the way over."

Mark smiled over at me. "Good. You do that. You need the rest, babe. Jack and I will try to calm these little jumping beans."

I snorted, imagining them in just that way now. Jack smiled and shook his head, then helped Mark into the car before lifting me gently into the back seat next to him. He and Eddie loaded the wheelchairs in the trunk, then got in. I looked at Eddie for a second, something occurring to me. "Um, Eddie? It's not going to cause you a problem getting your car home tonight, is it?"

Eddie shook his head. "Nope. I rode in with Wade and Molly. Wade saw Jack getting the wheelchairs out before we did, so he went over to help you guys this morning, that's all. I helped Molly carry her stuff in, and by then, you were already in your office. I was going to have to try to beg a ride off someone anyway. This way, I can help you guys with the kids party, see the girls in their costumes, and call Ray to come get me later, or even just crash at your place tonight, if I had to. You guys have the room, and I would stay out of the way so you could spend the evening however you want." I nodded and got a little more comfortable, snuggling into Mark's side. Jack was almost laying across my lap now, tucked up against my baby bump, already humming softly to the babies and rubbing my tummy. Mark smiled and joined in the humming, filling my head with the sounds of both my men's voices, even while he just wrapped his arms around me, cradling me against him as best he could around his casts. I let out a small sigh of contentment and closed my eyes, resting peacefully for the first time all week, it seemed like. I drifted off to sleep almost instantly. 

I woke up to see the waiting room of Dr. Sara's office. Apparently, I had managed to fall asleep so soundly even being lifted out of the car and put in the wheelchair didn't wake me up. I blinked several times, trying to figure out where I was and how I got here before I realized what was going on. Jack was sitting next to me, holding my hand, leaning on me a little as he played with the babies again. I smiled sleepily at him. Mark was sitting on my other side, his good hand rubbing the other side of my belly and he was humming softly to the babies, his head leaned in close. Jack noticed I was awake again first. "Hey there, love. Do ye feel any better? Ye really knocked out there."

I shifted just slightly in the wheelchair, stretching a little, still trying to shake the sleep fog from my brain. "Mmm? Yeah, sleep was good. I'm still tired, but my brain feels a lot clearer. How long did I sleep for? Have we been here long?"

Mark smiled at me and stopped humming, pressing a gentle kiss into my baby bump. "You slept about forty-five minutes or so. We've only been here about ten minutes, but you were so soundly asleep, we didn't want to wake you. Jack was really careful when he moved you from the car to the wheelchair. And he and I have been working on keeping the babies calm, and playing with them." He rubbed his hand around on my belly. "We've been so stressed and preoccupied lately, we kind of forgot how nice it is to talk to the babies this way and have them respond. It's very relaxing."

I lifted a hand and rubbed Mark's head, my fingers running through his hair. "I like it too, as long as you two don't trap me by doing it all the time. You guys have booth been so amazing lately, and this relaxes me almost as much as the babies, so go for it."

Eddie chuckled. "Sis, I think you're unleashing a monster here."

I shook my head, smiling at both men, now leaned forward talking to the babies in very quiet voices. "Nah. They know when to leave me to alone, especially if I ask them to. And we could all use the extra stress relief. Especially after that debacle with the lawyers at the show." I shook my head slowly. Jack looked up at me. I sighed and smiled at him, too relaxed at the moment to get worked up again. I hummed a happy noise as he grinned and kissed my belly, them resumed talking to the babies, alongside Mark. 

Eddie grinned at me. "Thank god you're finally somewhat relaxed. You guys have had so much stress lately, it can't have been healthy for any of you. Ray and I want to help, but we haven't been sure what to do, or how to offer. Is there something we can do? You know you can ask, right?"

I blushed a little. Jack looked up at Eddie and smiled at him. "Thanks Eddie, man. Yer sister doesn't like ta ask for help, as ye know. We have been talking and might have an idea that would help a lot, if ye and Ray are willing."

I blushed a little and ducked my head, making Jack turn back towards me. "Seeeeán! I was going to ask him later. I just..." I stopped and sighed. "Sorry. I don't mean to whine. I just wanted to wait and see what happened this morning before I dragged anyone else into things." Jack just leaned up and kissed me softly, then patted my belly with a wink and grinned when the babies kicked at him. He leaned back down and started talking to them again, clearly amused at the interaction. I smiled a soft, slightly misty- eyed smile at him and shook my head, turning back to Eddie. "So, Eddie, we were kind of hoping you and Ray might, um, be willing to move in with us for a little while? To help with things, just until the babies come? Maybe?"

Eddie smiled at me and took my hand, the one not looped through Mark's hair at the moment, taking it in both of his. "Of course, [Y/N]! We'd love to come help out. Honestly, I was a little afraid to offer something like that, just because I know how independent you are and I didn't want to upset you with all the other stuff you had to deal with. Ray already suggested I offer the same thing, one of the times we were talking. I promised him I'd talk to you about it, but you kind of beat me to the punch." He squeezed my hand and let go, then patted my belly. "We both want to make sure you are as safe as we can, not to mention these little ones. I know Jack and Mark are watching out for you, but this is a lot, even for the three of you. I'm happy to see you asking for help. Is there anything else we can do?"

I smiled back at him. "Not really. I mean, if you both move in, that's going to help a lot. You are both great with the girls and can help Mark get around, at least until he is out of his cast, and help us make sure he doesn't over do things while his ribs are still mending." I looked at the floor. "I'm going to call Mom and ask her to come move out with us, at least for a few months, too. This was actually my plan all along, if we could get Jack's VISA issues cleared up. I didn't want to ask before we found out what was going on, or if we were going to have to leave the country soon."

Jack looked up at me again, a small frown on his face. "Darlin', I know ye were worrying about that almost as much as me, but really, ye did an amazing job making sure everything was as prepared for my case as ye could. And ye made damn sure no one could drag me off without people knowing all about it." Jack gave me a look so full of love, I was sure everyone in the room could see it. I smiled at him and lifted my free hand, cupping his cheek and running a thumb over his cheekbone. He smiled a little now and leaned into the touch. "Ye do so much for me, I can't believe it. I feel like I can never do enough ta make it up ta ye. I -" Jack sniffled a little, fighting back emotions, but still smiling at me. "I love ye so, so much."

I leaned forward enough to kiss his forehead without displacing him or Mark, and then rested my forehead against his, my own emotions overwhelming me a little. A few tears escaped, slowly trickling down my face. "Seán, baby, I love you just as much. I feel like there is nothing I wouldn't do to help you, if it was in my power. And you and Mark both do so much for me, even when I'm not pregnant. It's not like I expect you to do the things you do either, but I do appreciate it, more than you know."

Eddie smiled as he sat back down next to Jack. Mark was still talking to the babies, a fascinated look on his face, but he had been watching all of us out of the corner of his eye. Jack brought both of his hands up from where they had been resting against the babies and cupped my face in both hands, wiping my tears away with his thumbs, a tender gesture that made a few more tears slide down my cheeks and a light blush dust my cheeks. He chuckled softly. "Love, we _do_ know how much ye appreciate us both and love us. Ye tell us, often. Doesn't mean we don't want ta do even more though." He pressed a kiss nto my forehead now. "Shh. Dry those gorgeous eyes, _**mo bhean chéile. Táim i ngrá leat, go deo na ndeor. Tá tú go h-álainn, mo shíorghrá, mo anamchara go h-álainn, mo chroí.**_ " 

I closed my eyes, leaning in close to Jack, taking a deep breath. When I opened my eyes again, Jack was still watching me closely, a small, almost secret, smile on his lips. I smiled back. "What did that mean, Seán? I didn't understand most of it. I mean, I understood when you said my wife, but after that, I was lost."

Jack's smile brightened and a faint dusting of color brightened his cheeks, creeping up his neck. "I did call you my wife. Then I said 'I'm in love with you, forever. You're beautiful, my eternal love, my beautiful soulmate, my heart.' I couldn't help it." 

I blushed faintly now too. "Oh, Seán..." I melted into him, leaning as close as I could, too choked up to say anything else. 

Mark chuckled softly, drawing both of our gazes. He was smiling up at us now. "Jack, that was super sweet. I think you got her all emotional again though." Mark sat up a little and hugged us both. "I might not be able to say things in as fancy a way, but I feel the same. For both of you. Now, come here and give me a hug, then I think you both need to remember we are in a fairly public place." His smile quirked up a little on one side. "And I think Beverly, standing in the doorway over there, is here to take us back now. I mean, we are the only ones over here right now and she is looking right at us. So come on, let's go see the doctor and find out a little more about our babies."

I wiped my eyes with a tissue and nodded, looking over at our regular nurse here at the practice. She was smiling at us, holding a chart and waiting, trying to unobtrusively get our attention. "Hi everybody. Mark, you guessed exactly why I was here. Come on back. Dr. Sara scheduled you as the first patient after lunch, so you can wait back in the room and get changed into the gown, for the ultrasound. How are you feeling, [Y/N]? Any unusual symptoms to report?"

I smiled lopsidedly at her. "Not really. I'm in a good bit of pain, from how much the babies are growing and how fast, and it's getting hard to eat or sleep, but mostly I'm okay." I sighed. "I just have to eat smaller meals, more often. I've been kind of snacking more, to get enough food. I get really bad heartburn or nausea if I eat more than a small amount at a time."

Beverly nodded. "Yeah, with pregnancy for multiples, like your case here, that happens. Now, why are you in a wheelchair? If you don't mind my asking, I mean."

Jack pushed me down the hall, following Beverly to the room she indicated, stopping briefly to help me stand and get weighed. I sighed when I saw the number on the scale and had to bite my cheek, reminding myself the babies needed me to gain the weight, it wasn't a bad thing, it was healthy. Jack rubbed my shoulder as I sat back down, then answered her question. "[Y/N] has been in a lot of pain, particularly her legs, feet, and back. It's a bit better when she stays off them, so we decided ta have her switch back ta tha wheelchair, like tha last time she was pregnant, ta help relieve some of tha strain." 

Beverly nodded, then made a note on my chart. "Okay. Now, who is your other guest here? Anyone we should know?"

Eddie grinned. "I'm her brother, and I'm here to help get Mark and [Y/N] around and see my nieces or nephews before anybody else in the family. Actually, I'm really excited for this. I've never seen an actual sonogram done before on a pregnant woman."

I smiled at him. "It's pretty amazing. Now, can you push Mark over to the desk and sit with him? Jack, I'm going to need your help to get changed into the gown, I think." Beverly was smiling and holding out the dreaded dressing gown I needed to change into. Jack nodded and kissed my cheek as he took the gown, pushing me back to the changing area, behind the screened off portion of the room. Beverly asked Mark a few questions about my health while I was changing, just double checking things, then laid the notes down on Dr. Sara's desk. As soon as Jack pushed me back out and over to the seating area, Beverly took my pulse oxygen level, blood pressure, and listened to my heart. 

She smiled at me when she finished, noting the numbers on the chart. "Okay, I got everything. Dr. Sara will be in to see you in just a few minutes. Everything looked fine so far, from what I could tell. The only concern I had was you might need to work on gaining a little more weight, but the ultrasound will give you a better idea of that, and so will Dr. Sara. Good luck everybody and see you next time!" With that, Beverly stepped back out of the room. Jack immediately started tucking my blanket up around me, noticing I had started shivering a little in the cooler air of the room, especially since I wasn't in my warm sweater anymore. When I was tucked back in, he smiled at me and rested a hand over the babies, a protective gesture, then settled back in his seat to wait. We were all quiet, thinking our own thoughts, while we waited for the doctor to come in and see me, but it wasn't an uncomfortable silence. 

Dr. Sara didn't make us wait long. She was in the room only two or three minutes after Beverly left, a giant smile on her face. "Hello everyone. Give me just a minute to look over these notes, and then we can get started. [Y/N], who's your guest? He looks like he might be a relative of yours."

I nodded. "Doctor Sara, this is Eddie, my brother. Eddie, this is Doctor Sara. She's been my doctor since I got pregnant the first time, with the girls. She's awesome." The two exchanged smiles and waved at each other as Dr. Sara settled in her chair, then started going over the notes on my chart. 

"Hmm. We have a few things to address here, but nothing too major seems to be wrong. We might want to try giving you a medicine to help with the pain you're having, one that's even safer than Tylenol for your babies, and a muscle relaxant. Also, you should have gained more weight by now. We'll see how the babies look on the sonogram, but you should be about ten or fifteen pounds heavier than this, with this many babies, by this point in your pregnancy. I know you've been struggling with eating and not throwing up, but it's really important. Let's see what we can do to help you get the nutrition you need to grow everybody up nice and healthy. It might be something that adding protein and vitamin shakes can help with. We'll talk about it after your exam and we take a peek at those little fetuses. Now, can I ask why you are all bundled up, under that blanket? Is the room really that cold?"

I shrugged a half shrug. "Um, I've been pretty much constantly freezing for a while. I have to snuggle with the family most of the time, or be buried under blankets and dress for winter weather all the time, even though it's not at all cold out. I was cold a lot with the girls too, for a long time, so I just kind of figured this was normal. Or normal for me anyway, when I'm pregnant. Is that something I should have been worried about?"

Doctor Sara smiled and shook her head. "Not really. You know what happened the first time around and every woman is a little different. I wouldn't worry about it, if it happened when you were expecting the girls too." She looked down at the papers in her hands, reviewing the rest of the information on them. "Okay. I think I'm all caught up. Now, I'll ask you a few questions, so try to answer truthfully." I nodded. She asked me about all kinds of things, from how I was sleeping (not well), to how I was pooping (drawing out a blush and the one word answer of 'fine'), and how much pain I was in (a lot). She made further notes and started the physical exam, checking me over carefully. Once all of that was finished, she smiled brightly. "Now for the fun part. The reason I know you are all really here. The ultrasound." We nodded, excitedly. She grinned. "Well, you'll need to climb up onto the exam table for this part and lay back. Jack? Can you help her up? You and Mark can hold her hands, like usual, so you can get a good spot to see from."

Jack lifted me out of the wheelchair and set me down on the bed, positioning a pillow behind my back and several behind my head as he helped me get as comfortable possible. Once I was settled in, he smiled, grabbed my right hand in both of his, and leaned forward, kissing me. I returned the sweet kiss, closing my eyes for a second, and nearly losing myself to it. What brought me back was Mark gently grasping my left hand in his, pulling it over so he could hold onto it with both hands as well. I opened my eyes, breaking the kiss, and smiled at Mark. He grinned back. Dr. Sara shook her head at us, knowing this wasn't the most over the top we had been in her office, and that we were all in love, so she didn't comment. Eddie came up next to my head so he could see and grinned at me. "Nice, sis. Do the three of you always put on a show like that?"

I blushed. "Um, more often than we should, probably. Sorry about that."

Eddie just shook his head. "I'm used to it by now. I mean, I've seen the three of you interact for a long time now, and you all tend to forget where you are sometimes, when you get emotional or romantic with each other. I'm happy you are all so good to, and for, each other, if I'm being honest. It can get a bit uncomfortable at times though."

Jack and Mark blushed now too. Dr. Sara laughed and cleared her throat. "Well, let's see if we can get you some video of these little ones and find out some genders, hmm? You did want to see the genders still, correct?" We nodded. Dr. Sara grinned and moved the machine over closer. "Well, we're going to start with the regular ultrasound, then move to the high powered one, and finally the three-d one. I have all three hooked up to a machine that will record things for you, to a disc, and save a copy for your files as well. I even warmed the gel up for you, so here we go. You ready, Momma?"

I nodded and felt the bottom of the gown being lifted, even as Dr. Sara draped a sheet over my legs and hips, to afford me some extra privacy and warmth. Jack and Mark both squeezed my hands as the first of the images started to appear on screen. I made a little noise, almost a cooing sound, when one of the babies came into focus. "Look at them. Oh my god."

Dr. Sara smiled. "Yep. That's a healthy baby alright. Let me just... There we go, it looks like you have a little girl here. And she's coming along nicely, not really undersized or underweight for the seventeen week mark." She moved on to the next baby, next to our daughter. "And this baby looks quite healthy too. Ten fingers and toes, all well defined and growing normally. Another little girl." I had tears in my eyes I was so overwhelmed and happy to see the babies were doing so well. Jack leaned in and kissed our hands where they were touching, squeezing a little more too. "And the third baby is a girl too, also healthy and growing well. I think the three of them are triplets, so we have another set of triplets to check out as well as the twins. Let's move on and see who else is in here, shall we? Or do you all need a minute to gather yourselves?"

Mark grabbed a tissue from the box next to him and blew his nose with one hand, not letting go of my hand with the other. Jack used our joined hands to swipe at his eyes. I smiled at the two of them. Jack answered for the three of us. "Thank ye, Dr. Sara. This is so amazing. Just seeing tha babies on tha screen like this and knowing they are doing this well..." He smiled brightly at me, still clearly choked up. "Love, ye are doing an incredible job with this. I needed a minute ta just..."

I nodded up at him. "I know. Me too." we all took a few deep breaths, calming back down, then turned to Dr. Sara. "Okay, I think we're ready to see if the rest of these babies are just as healthy and find out how many more, if any, little girls we're having." I smiled softly and chuckled. "Sammi will be happy. She was asking me to make sure she got some more sisters. I told her I'd do my best."

The guys chuckled with me, very quietly, as Dr. Sara started moving the wand again. "Okay, and here we have baby number four. Oh, it looks like he's doing great! And he's not at all shy, is he?" The baby was turning slightly toward the pressure, legs spread in a way so that he was easy to see. I smiled still brighter, feeling both men squeeze my hands now. "Oh, and he's got a twin brother as well. Hello, little one. Hmm. I have to say, all five of these babies are excellent size from what I can determine so far. That's very good news for them, and the pregnancy, but it means the weight issue is actually with you, [Y/N]. You are losing weight, from your own body mass, to grow the babies, which isn't uncommon, but can be dangerous. Let me just finish checking out the other babies, and finish looking everything over with all three machines, then we can address that and your pain issues." I nodded once and Dr. Sara wiped the excess gel off my belly and moved to the other side of my ever-expanding tummy. She settled the wand on a new spot and brought another baby into view. "Hello there little one. Are you a boy or a girl? Oh, another little girl." I blinked. Logically, that meant the other two babies we hadn't seen yet would be girls as well, but I needed to see with my own eyes before I could believe it. Dr. Sara moved on, checking all the babies over carefully. "And here we have her sister. Hi, little girl. Oh, you and your sisters and brothers are so adorable, aren't you? And you're all growing so well. And now, baby number eight. Another sweet little girl. Very good size and developing normally. Good." When she reached the last baby, she blinked and her jaw dropped slightly, the wand stilling. "Um, guys? I'm not sure exactly how we missed this, but..." She paused and took a deep breath. "It looks like there are actually nine babies in here. You have another son, tucked in behind this little girl." She moved the wand and we could see a ninth little one on the screen, a single, separate umbilical cord leading off. I felt stunned. The guys looked stunned. 

Eddie was the first to recover. "Wow. Nine babies, for real? Just... Wow."

Dr. Sara nodded and turned the regular ultrasound machine off, looking at the three of us. "Are you three okay?"

I nodded first, then saw Mark and Jack do the same. I looked into the doctor's face. "So, are they all really all right?"

Dr. Sara nodded, smiling at me. "Yeah, they really are. I still want to check them all out with the other machines now, especially knowing we missed one before, but everything looked fine. It's a good thing you already started using the wheelchair though. As of now, I want you off your feet as much as possible. Oh, and definitely no flying for you after December first. People can come to you, at least until these little ones get here. Ideally, I want you on bed rest from then on too, but we can talk about that more later, if we need to. And I want you coming in every week or so from here on out, just so I can keep an eye on things. You would be the first person to successfully carry nonuplets and have them all survive, if they aren't stillborn. But these babies look exceptionally healthy at this stage. Surprisingly so."

I just blinked at the doctor, trying to take it all in. We were really having nine babies? My mind spun. Dr. Sara seemed not to notice however, and just continued my exam moving on to the next machine, going over my skin very slowly and carefully, gathering as much information as she could. I was still feeling awed by the images of the babies, particularly these higher clarity and quality ones, but I was slightly overwhelmed by the presence of an additional baby. It probably shouldn't have thrown me off as much as it was, but I was having trouble focusing, my mind just spinning in circles. The second ultrasound finished far more quickly than I had expected. Dr. Sara immediately moved over to the third machine and started the three-d modeling, letting us get a visual idea of how the babies were laying in my belly and how cramped they were (surprisingly, not as bad as I had feared). The images were different enough to jar my brain out of it's confusion and letting me focus. By the end of the exam, I was feeling absolute joy that all the babies were healthy and growing well. We had nine little rock stars growing fast, healthy, and with no apparent deformities or abnormalities. Dr. Sara practically beamed at me as she finished up and burned the disc for us, handing it over when she told Jack to go help me change back into my regular clothes. 

Jack helped me get changed, then, before he set me back in the wheelchair, he just held me in his arms, humming a quiet noise of pure contentment. I smiled at him as he settled me back in the chair. "Love, how are ye holding up?"

I smiled at him and pulled the blanket over myself, shivering slightly. "I'm okay, Seán. I'm surprised, but not unhappy. I've been so worried about the babies being healthy, this was actually more of a relief than anything, even if..." I shook my head. "Sorry. I'm still trying to process this, I think."

Jack nodded and pushed me back out to the desk, sitting down next to me and scooting over as close as he could. Mark grabbed one of my hands, pulling it over to his lips, where he gently kissed it, then settled it in his lap, between both of his own hands. Dr. Sara looked all of us over and smiled as she made some additional notes on her computer. "Okay guys. Well, we have to discuss a few things now. First, [Y/N], we need to make sure you are gaining weight and eating more. I'm serious."

I swallowed hard and nodded, looking down. "I've been trying, but it's really hard. The babies keep crowding my stomach, making it hard to eat. And I just don't have very much of an appetite most of the time."

Dr. Sara nodded, looking sympathetic. "I understand. But in order for the babies to get the nutrition they need, you have to be taking in more calories, vitamins, and nutrients yourself. By your next appointment, next week, I want to you have gained at least five pounds. More would be a lot better." I nodded at her, indicating I understood. She sighed. "I know it's hard, but if you can't gain the weight we will have to hospitalize you again, until we can either get your weight up, or until the babies can safely be born."

Jack and Mark both exchanged looks. I just sighed again and looked at the floor. Then I thought of a question. "Doctor Sara, is there some food, or some kind of supplement, that would be helpful? Something that would help me gain the weight I need without being too hard on my stomach?"

Dr. Sara looked thoughtful for a minute. "Yes. Try drinking either Boost or Ensure, or one of the off- brand supplement drinks that are similar. They have a good nutrient balance. And honestly, they don't taste bad either. Other than that, snack. If you have a food craving or whim, indulge it. You've lost too much weight since you got pregnant."

Jack smiled at me and squeezed my hand. "It's going ta be okay, darlin'. Ye're doing a fantastic job so far, ye just need some help. Mark and I will make sure ye fatten up a bit. We'll stop on tha way home and get ye another milkshake too."

I leaned over against him, trying not to feel like a failure. Mark squeezed my other hand and gently rubbed my belly with his bad hand. "Hey, it could be a lot worse. And all the babies ate doing great, even the one we didn't know was in there. We have six more little girls on the way, and three sons. That's incredible."

I smiled softly, thinking about the babies, turning a little to face Mark. He smiled brightly back at me. "Thanks, Markimoo. I forgot how good this news really is." I ran my hand, still being held by Mark, over my belly, thinking. 

Eddie spoke up. "Okay, so we stop on the way home and get the supplement drinks and a milkshake for you. No sweat."

Dr. Sara nodded. "Good. Now, for the second part of what we have to talk about. You need to start a muscle relaxant to help with the pain. It might help your appetite too, not constantly being in pain. I have one in mind for you, to have you try, in conjunction with a pain reliever. Both of them are extremely safe for the babies. Just have them filled at your pharmacy and if you have any side effects or anything feels unusual, call me. You know your body and what's normal for you pretty well. Just make sure you are taking these prescriptions the way you should be. They don't work if you skip them."

I raised an eyebrow. "I don't skip doses, Doctor Sara. And I'm taking my health very seriously."

Dr. Sara nodded. "Good. I didn't really doubt that, but I have to remind everyone anyway. Here are the scripts for the two new medicines. Those nutritional supplements are available in either the grocery store or at the pharmacy as well. Now, for your appointment next week, does Friday at four work for the three of you?" I pulled out my calendar book and checked. It was clear, at the moment, so I nodded. "Great! Then I'll see all of you then." We nodded and waved as Eddie and Jack rolled Mark and I out to the car. Jack lifted me into the back seat and got me settled while Eddie helped Mark, then Jack climbed in with us for a snuggle while Eddie put the two wheelchairs in the trunk. 

Jack and Mark both cuddled into me as soon as they could, wrapping me up in their warm arms and holding me close. They started peppering me with kisses and gentle belly rubs too, relaxing me, making me feel incredibly loved. Mark even started singing, softly. I smiled and just enjoyed the attention for the moment, closing my eyes and resting. I was surprised when suddenly Eddie was handing me an enormous triple chocolate and banana milkshake. I blinked. He grinned at me. "Easy sis. You fell asleep. We didn't want to wake you, but Jack insisted we stop for the shake, since you wanted one this morning and it seems to be one of the few foods you actually seem enthusiastic about. He just ran in the pharmacy to get you prescriptions and look for those drink things. Mark's still here, but he fell asleep too. The guys seem really worried, [Y/N]. I don't blame them. Why didn't you let someone know how much pain you were in? It's obviously bad if it's killing your appetite that much, and I know how high your tolerance for pain is."

I blushed. "I didn't really think it would be a problem. Complaining doesn't help anyone. I thought I could just get used to it, or power through it. I didn't mean to do this to myself." I looked down at my baby bump and fought off tears.

Eddie reached back from the driver's seat and gently squeezed my knee, comforting me. "Hey, I didn't mean to upset you, sis. I'm just worried about you. Having you be underweight just reminded me of how bad you were in high school, before Mom left Dad. You ended up looking like a stick figure, and none of us ever want to see you do that to yourself again, even by accident."

I flinched. "Oh shit, I hadn't even thought of that. No wonder you looked so upset. I swear, I'm not doing that now, Eddie. I couldn't stand the thought of hurting everybody like that, or causing the babies to have problems. I'm over the moon happy that all of them are healthy and developing properly." I sniffled a little, fighting back emotions, both positive and negative, about the babies. "It would kill me if I did something that hurt them. I think you know that."

Eddie nodded. "Of course I do. You are an amazing mom, and you love people so fiercely no one could doubt it, even for a second." He smiled at me again, patting my knee again. "So how do you really feel about having nine babies in there? You all three seemed unsure and a little stunned after you found out."

I blinked, mulling over my answer before I said anything. I absent- mindedly rubbed my belly as I thought, trying to soothe the aches I was feeling and get the babies to settle down. "Honestly? It still hasn't really registered for me. I mean, the pregnancy feels real, don't get me wrong. I just mean, I had a little trouble believing I was expecting eight babies. Nine just doesn't seem possible. I have no idea how the guys are feeling about this either." I sighed softly, trying to be quiet for Mark's sake. "Thirteen kids, all under the age of two, in just a few months time. How the hell are we going to stay on top of this mob?"

Eddie laughed. "With some help, I have no doubt you'll be fine. Actually, I think if anyone can do this, it's you three. I think this will be the final straw though, the thing that makes Mom finally move out here permanently."

I grinned. "Good. I already talked about this with Jack and Mark. Both of them have been nothing but encouraging about me extending an offer for her to move in with us. I don't just mean until the babies are a few months old, I mean forever. I'd love it if she kept her house in West Virginia, for when we all go visit the family back East, but I hope she'll accept the offer to move in with us. Even if she just wanted to live with us for every winter from now on, I'd be perfectly happy."

Eddie laughed. "She might just do that, especially once these babies are a little older. She loves helping out with the girls now, and you know how much she hates winter weather."

I nodded. "Yeah. But she would never move someplace with no seasons, unless it was for family. I remember all her stories about Arizona, when she went to college, and how much she missed seasons. To tell the truth, I miss them here in LA too. Someday, our family will move away, back to somewhere closer to everyone else in one of our families, either back East, or closer to Jack's family. All of us want to do that, but right now, we have to stay in LA for work. That's what got all of us out here in the first place, after all. But none of us are really in love with California."

I felt Mark shift beside me. He hugged me closer and kissed my ear. "No we aren't. Now, you should be drinking that shake and cuddling me."

I chuckled. "Babe, I was cuddling you. I wasn't going anywhere. Eddie and I have just been talking. But I will stop and drink my shake, since you insist."

Mark beamed at me, nodding. "Excellent. You have nine little jumping beans to keep healthy after all. I can't believe we had an extra little passenger we didn't know about. Nine babies..." Mark sighed and stared off into the distance. I curled in closer and stuck the straw in my shake, stirring it a few times, then drinking a little. It was delicious, cold and creamy, and I could feel it settling my stomach a little more. Mark kept smiling as he rubbed a soothing pattern across my skin, making the babies settle as well. I hummed out an appreciative noise. "Good job babe. You just relax and feed these little beans."

I smiled around the straw. "How do you feel about knowing the babies genders, Mark? Are you happy we're having more girls and some little boys this time too? Do you wish it was all boys? Or all girls?"

Mark shook his head. "I'm amazed and ecstatic that the babies are all safe, healthy, and developing well. Truthfully, the fact that we know the genders hasn't fully sunk in yet. And you know how Jack and I feel, baby. Either gender was fine with us. It will be nice to have a few sons, but daughters are great."

I nodded and rested my head on Mark's chest. "I know. I just wondered if seeing the babies that way made any difference. You two are going to have to potty train these little boys, you know. And boys are notoriously harder to toilet train than girls." I smiled. "Not that I think we won't be able to handle it. We got the girls potty trained pretty easily." I suddenly realized something. "God. We're going to have to start calling them the big girls, won't we? So we can differentiate between the babies and them, after the new ones get here. When we aren't calling them by name, I mean."

Mark just chuckled again, a soft rumbling next to my ear. "Yep. The big girls and the little girls. All of them are our babies." Mark pulled me up for a kiss. "Mmm. I can't get over how great this is, babe. You're doing so well, except for not eating quite enough. But we can get that fixed and before you know it, the babies will be here." 

I smiled softly and nodded. "Yeah, I know. I think we need to have a little discussion after they get here, about how to prevent any more little accidents in the future. I don't know that we could handle more than thirteen kids. Or at least something to prevent it from happening until we are all ready again, if we do, someday in the very distant future, decide we want more children. Obviously, condoms and the pill weren't enough. Maybe I should go on birth control shots?"

Eddie made a noise. I looked up at him and blushed faintly. "Um, could you possibly wait to have this discussion until I'm not around? I don't even want to think of you having sex, so it's kind of grossing me out to think of you and your boyfriend and husband as super fertile, to the point of having kids despite you making an effort not to." He stuck out his tongue and scrunched his nose up. "Bleah!"

I laughed. "Yeah, okay. Sorry to squick you out." 

Mark kissed my cheek and chuckled again. Then he whispered a response directly in my ear. "Yeah, we should talk about that, but it can wait for a while. For now, you just focus on growing these babies, eating more, and sleeping. I know the pain has been keeping you up, so hopefully these new meds will make a difference. Don't forget to let us know if you need Jack or I to help you out either."

I turned my face so Eddie couldn't see and gave Mark a lascivious look. He blushed and laughed, gently squeezing me a little tighter in our hug. I grinned. "Oh, I'll be sure to let you know, Markimoo. Trust me." I turned back to Eddie. "Eddie, you're probably going to want to go home after the party wraps up tonight. Um, Felix and Marzia will have the girls, Ma and Pa are going out, and even the editors have the night off. We kind of had plans, just the three of us."

Eddie blinked, then looked away, staring fixedly out of the windshield, making another face. "Yeah, okay. I definitely don't need to hang around for that. Thanks for the heads up. Just remember to take it easy, sis. I don't want to hear you, or either of your men, ended up in the hospital because of your sexcapades. Yeesh."

I nodded. "You bet. Besides, I'm always careful. But we probably won't be that wild anyway. All three of us are pretty exhausted from everything going on lately. We just need a few quiet days, really, to recover. Tomorrow's going to be fairly busy, but not too bad, and Marzia and Felix are keeping the girls for a few extra days. Trick or treating is going to be from their house anyway, and they were always going to have the girls during the party. They are getting sitters." I smiled. "Actually, they and Arin and Suzy are hiring Ma and Pa to sit. Ma and Pa are refusing to let us pay. As usual."

Eddie nodded. "I'm glad to hear you three are taking a few quiet hours while you can. I wish it was more, but hopefully after Ray and I can get moved in, you'll be able to steal a little more time, more often. Now, I don't see that shake getting drunk. I'm watching sis."

I grinned and winked. "Alright, alright. No need to browbeat me. I'm working on it."

Mark chuckled again. "You just drink your drink. Oh, here comes Jack. Looks like he found those booster drinks for you." Jack was indeed coming back to the car, pushing a cart loaded with boxes and small bottles. I could see the pharmacy bag laying on top too. Eddie jumped out to help put things in the car. Jack decided, since the wheelchairs were taking up most of the trunk, everything was going to go in the front seat. Once the cart was empty, before Jack even had the chance to take it back to the store, Eddie told Jack to get in and ran off, pushing the cart back inside.

Jack gamely climbed in next to me again and cuddled in close, wrapping his arms around both Mark and me. He pressed a fast kiss on my cheek and settled in place, then reached over, plucked the pill bottles out of the bag, and fished one of each out, handing them to me. "Here love. Ye take yer new medicines with that shake. I got ye a bunch of those drinks tha doctor mentioned, in lots of flavors I think ye might like. We'll see what ye like best and can order more, as we need."

I took the pills and swallowed them down with a grimace, then went back to quietly sipping the shake, my whole body relaxing under Mark's and Jack's watchful eyes. I just managed to finish the shake before we got home. I glanced at the time and smiled. It wasn't even four o'clock yet. Jack carried me into the house, settling me on the couch with a smile. Eddie helped Mark in, then he and Jack helped Mark get settled next to me. Mark immediately wrapped me up in my silver blanket. "There. Are you warm enough like that babe? I'm going to stay here with you too, but I don't want you getting cold."

I yawned, fighting sleep a little. "Mmm. 'S nice. Still a bit cold, but no moving. Shh."

Jack grinned. "Lass, ye just try ta take a nap here with Mark, okay? Eddie and I will go help Tyler decorate and get tha food for tha party finished. There's not that much left ta handle anyway."

I blinked a little, trying to decide whether or not to protest, but before I could, Mark leaned over and started rubbing my back, making my brain just turn to mush. I just hummed a happy noise and closed my eyes. I was asleep almost instantly.

I awoke to the sound of the doorbell. Pa answered, letting in Felix, Marzia, Jacob, and the girls. I smiled sleepily at them, but before I could say anything, Ma swooped in and started hugging the kids. "Happy Halloween, lasses. Let's go get ye into yer costumes, shall we? I know where yer Momma put them after tha other day." The girls squealed and clapped, following Ma like ducklings again. Marzia smiled and carried Jacob off to get him changed too. Felix came over to the couch and looked at us.

"So, you finally let someone else take things over, [Y/N]? It's about time."

I blushed and rubbed my eyes a little, still trying to wake up. "Hey, I'm not that bad. I let Mark and Jack help me a lot. I just don't want them to overdo it either. Especially with Mark being hurt. And the doctor said I'm doing really well, except for needing to gain more weight. The babies all looked really healthy." I rubbed my tummy fondly.

Mark leaned over and pressed a kiss on my belly too. "Yep. All nine babies were just perfect."

Felix started to nod, then stopped as he realized what Mark had just said. "Wait, nine? What do you mean nine babies?"

I sighed. "Apparently, we had a little miscount before. We have six girls and three boys coming now. Two sets of triplets, that's the girls, by the way, a set of twin boys, and one baby boy that's not identical to any of the others. He's been kind of tucked in behind his sisters, so he was harder to see before. But Felix, the doctor said they are all looking amazingly healthy. She gave me a couple of medicines for my muscle pain and told me other than taking those and eating more, I'm doing fantastic. She was concerned about my weight though, as Mark mentioned. I need to be gaining a good bit more wright than I am, or else she's going to have me admitted to the hospital, which I really don't want right now."

Felix just stared at me, disbelief all over his face. "You're serious? There are nine babies in there? What the fuck?!"

I nodded. Mark chuckled softly and rubbed my belly. "Yeah. I don't think we've fully absorbed that fact yet either man. It's a lot to take in."

Jack, who had just walked back into the room, grinned. "That's an understatement." He came over and sat now next to me, lifting me up for just long enough to get himself settled. I snuggled into his arms once he was settled, leaning into him, but still cuddling Mark too. Jack smiled as he looked into my face. "Comfy, love?" I nodded. He kissed my shoulder. "Good. Remember, tha doctor told ye that ye should be resting and of yer feet more. I'm glad ye were willing ta use tha wheelchair, even before she told ye too, but I'm still worried about ye. My wife has ta take care of herself, and I want ta help."

I smiled and settled my head on Jack's shoulder. "I love hearing you call me that. Whether it's in private or in front of people." I yawned, still feeling tired. 

Jack's smile softened a little. "Are ye tired, love?" I nodded. He bit his lip. "Lass, is it tha new medicine, or are ye tired because ye haven't been sleeping, because the babies were keeping ye up so much lately? Can ye tell yet?"

"I don't know, Jack. It's too soon to tell. I was pretty exhausted before I took the medicine. It does seem to be helping with my pain level though. Which might be part of why I'm feeling so sleepy. This is the first time in weeks I don't hurt. Now I'm kind of hungry and very sleepy." I yawned again, covering my mouth with the back of my hand. 

Jack kissed me gently. "Then let's get ye some food, love. I'm glad ta hear ye feel up ta eating even after that shake, and that tha medicine is helping ye so much. What do ye want me ta go get ye? Anything sound particularly good?"

I shook my head and cuddled in closer to Jack. "No. Don't move. I can wait a few minutes. I want cuddles more than food, even if I do need to be eating more. I've been cold ever since we left the house this morning." Jack just sighed.

Mark smiled at me now, drawing my attention by bringing the blankets back up around me where they had slipped down while I slept. "Just relax babe. We can have Eddie bring you something in a minute, if you insist Jack stays here. Personally, I'm all for that too. All I want to do for the rest of the weekend is snuggle you both. I'm so incredibly happy right now, I can barely believe it."

Felix laughed. "Guys, I can go get a snack for [y/n]. What do you want?"

I smiled brightly. "Thank Felix. Um, maybe some pizza bites? I think we have some in the freezer." Felix nodded and stepped out of the room getting me the requested food. A moment later the girls came running in, shrieking with delight at the decorations, excited to be in costume, and generally just excited about life. I smiled as I watched them run by, then pause and come back over. 

Sammi grinned at us. "Momma? Dids ye have a doctor visit today?"

I nodded, smiling back at her. "Yep. We found out more about the babies too. But Momma, Papa, and Daddy want to wait to tell you until we can record a video about it. We want it to be a surprise. Can you wait until the day after tomorrow to find out?"

All four girls nodded, then patted my belly, smiling. Dani voiced an opinion. "Sure Momma. We's going ta be busy anyway." 

I nodded at her and blinked when Felix came back in, handing me a big plate completely packed with the pizza bites. I started to protest, but instead offered them around, letting the girls, Mark, Jack, and Felix all take a few, still leaving me with more than enough. I chuckled ruefully. "I guess I really did look hungry."

Felix grinned. "Well, not exactly, but I figured even if you didn't want that many now, you could snack on them for a while. Don't think all of us haven't noticed how little you've been eating. We were all worried, even before the doctor called you out on this. So eat your damn pizza bites and don't fuss."

Tiana grinned. "Yeah, Momma. Ye need ta eat more. Ye look too skinny, except where tha babies is and it wooks wike ye swallowed a bubble. Ye needs ta eat, ta be strong and grow tha babies. Right Daddy? Right Papa?"

Jack and Mark both nodded, smiling at our daughter. "Absolutely pumpkin. And you're right about how Momma looks right now too. Even her doctor said so. But we're going to look after her and make sure she eats better from now on."

Tiana nodded. "Good." Eddie walked in, talking to Tyler and Ethan, much to the girls delight. "Ee-tan!! Unca Ty! Unca Eddie! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!"

I raised a hand up. "Shh, girls, calm down. They can see, and hear, you. You don't need to shout or squeal. Uncle Eddie and Uncle Ray are going to be here a lot more pretty soon, so they can help Daddy take care of me and Papa. And so they can help take care of you, while Momma is trying to grow these babies. Now, who wants to be a good girl and go watch for more guests to arrive so Momma, Daddy, and Papa can stay here? Daddy and Papa are helping me stay warm."

Stephanie solved the problem by simply running over and sitting in the window while the other girls were debating who would watch. Ethan grinned and came over to us, smiling. "Hi girls. Hi Jack, Mark. Hi, [y/n]. H-hi Felix."

Felix grinned. "How's it going bro? Have you been recruited to help with the kids party?"

Ethan laughed. "I volunteered. I love kids. And it's not like I was doing anything else this evening. Besides, these costumes are amazing! I want to see what everyone else wears too."

Stephanie yelled over to us from her window seat. "Momma! Here comes some more people. It wooks wike Unca Arin, Aunt Suzy, and Katie. Oooh, and wook! Here comes Emmy and Eric!" 

I smiled and nodded. "We invited all your friends from the neighborhood. Now, can you calm down enough to let Tyler open the door and say hi to everyone?"

Tyler opened the door and let the guests in. Soon everyone had arrived, including half the neighborhood we lived in. The kids were all having a blast, showing off costumes to each other, playing games or even just playing pretend together, and eating the party food. Jack got up a few times to greet various people, set out more food, or help one of the kids with something. The adults all pretty much stayed with Mark and I or with their kids, watching everything. It looked like everyone had a blast, and by the time six thirty rolled around, the kids were all wiped out. We agreed to end the party then. Felix and Marzia wrangled the sleeping toddlers out to the van and drove them to their house, still in costume, to change clothes before they were put to bed. Arin and Suzy carried out Katie, sound asleep, and promised to see us tomorrow. And the neighbors all drifted over to say their own goodbyes as they filed out as well. Eddie called Ray, then started helping Tyler and Ethan put food away and clean up. By seven fifteen, when Ray got to the house, you could barely tell we had hosted the party, and things were either completely cleared away or nearly so in every room of the house. Ray stayed and chatted for a few minutes, but I think he could tell we were exhausted, so he and Eddie left soon after. Tyler promised that he would make sure the editors had whatever they needed for the rest of the weekend and wished us goodnight, heading for the guest house, just behind Ethan. Even Ma and Pa left by seven thirty, leaving us alone in the house, for the first time in ages. Jack helped Mark back to bed first, getting him all changed and settled in before he came back out to get me. After he got me settled in my nightgown and in bed, he smiled at me. "Love?"

I looked up at him with very sleepy eyes. "Hmm?"

"I'm going ta go get some of those shakes tha doctor wants ye ta drink and bring them in here. And I'm getting yer medicines too. Ye just lay back and try ta get some sleep. I think all three of us are too tired ta fool around tonight." I sighed and nodded, curling myself into Mark's side and falling asleep before Jack even made it out the door. I didn't wake back up until the next morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise? The plot got a little away from me again. (I swear, I had only planned 8 babies, but somehow...)
> 
> Okay, now all I can say here is: goddamn it. I had the chapter more than half written and the browser crashed, losing all my work. The AO3 had downtime issues when I tried to save it and there it went again. So FUCKING frustrating. Breathe. Must remember to breathe...
> 
> As for the Irish in the chapter: Yes, I am using the website Duolingo to learn Irish. I do have an 92 day streak (uninterrupted daily practices of at least 3 sections a day). Even with my extended hospital stay and excessive doctor visits over the last few months. (Oh, and just to clarify -- all the Irish I use in this story is as accurately translated as I could manage. Almost all of it is from the lessons I have already mastered on Duolingo, with the exception of "I'm learning" -- which I used the site to find a way to say. And, in case anyone is interested, the word _bean_ is pronounced like ban [long a], not the English pronunciation [bEEn].)
> 
> And now, in other news, I'm going to see Mark's show in October, as a late birthday present! So yeah. I'm excited (I wish Jack had a show or two on the East coast, but maybe next time...) and going with a bunch of other people, (who I'm dragging along) so woohoo!!! SO hyped!!
> 
> And now... HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME (Sept 22)!!! Yeah! Party time -- which means chapters might be a small bit later while I celebrate properly. (I'm going to a fancy tea, out for an (extended) family meal, and going to the Markiplier show on October 12th). Now, this will NOT be the next story updated, I'm pretty sure (likely Night Breezes and How We Met will both get the next updates), but I'm hoping to squeeze some extra writing time in during October, so maybe it won't be too long before the next chapter. I had hoped to get this chapter out before my birthday, but it got away from me, with how long it ended up being. I felt like y'all had been waiting too long for the baby reveal anyway, so I couldn't even split the chapter and delay it again. :) ('Cuz, ya know, long chapters take a fucking long ass time...)
> 
> And, as always, Have a Fab Day!
> 
> PS-- my editing made me LOL. I accidentally said 'we had a super BUSTY week' instead of busy, in the first part of the chapter. Not quite what I meant... XD


	29. Halloween *

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Halloween. It's going to be a VERY busy day too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no shame. *eyes chapter* NO KINK SHAMING!

I woke up first on Saturday, with Jack and Mark both cuddling me close. I smiled, feeling the love flowing from the two of them toward me, the babies, and each other. I was feeling a lot better this morning than I had been even yesterday morning, either because the new medicine had helped me get a much better night's sleep and my pain was lower than it had been in ages, or because all of us were feeling a lot less stressed about the situation with Jack's VISA. I smiled softly to myself as I looked at him, making a soft humming sound without thinking about it, just a quiet expression of my happiness that everything was going to be okay and my plans were going well. I shifted just a little in the bed, scooting just enough so I could sit up and breathe a little better, relieving some of the pressure on my lungs from the babies. I sighed and smiled a little more as I rubbed a hand over my tummy, happy that all the babies were safe as well. Suddenly, it really hit home. I was carrying nine babies. I was married. My head started to swim a little.

That's when I noticed Jack was awake and watching me. "Love? Are ye alright? Ye're eyes just went all funny. Ye were sitting there, looking happy, and I was just about ta ask ye if ye thought ye could drink one of those shakes, when ye suddenly looked all wobbly. What's wrong, love?"

I leaned over and kissed him. "Seán, we're having _nine_ babies. And we got married a few days ago." My voice faded out as I looked at him. He looked at me and nodded, waiting for me to go on. I looked at him so more. "Holy shit. That's huge. It just really hit me, what all that means. I'm..." I stopped again and looked down at my belly, then rubbed it a few times, and back up at Jack. "I'm speechless."

Jack smiled and leaned in kissing me. "I see." He pulled me into his arms, cuddling me into his warmth and running a gentle hand down my belly, next to mine. "Just delayed reality then, love? Ye're finally feeling relaxed and out of pain enough for things ta process for ye?" I nodded. Jack's smile brightened considerably. He wrapped the blankets around both of us a little tighter and drew them tighter around Mark as well, his free hand brushing the hair out of Mark's face. "That's fair wonderful, lass. Now, can ye manage ta drink a shake while we decide what ta have for breakfast and I go fetch it for ye? Don't forget, tha doctor said ye need ta gain at least five pounds by next week. I know that's going ta be a tall order, but we're here ta help ye. So what flavor shake do ye want ta try this morning? I got ye a bunch of different ones. What sounds good ta ye? There's chocolate, strawberry, or vanilla, and there's a couple of drinks that are fruit boosts that aren't shakes in blueberry pom, fruit punch, or blackberry tea."

I smiled at the flavor options. "Seán, sweetie, you know I'm not going to drink the vanilla ones, unless we add them to something else, right? I'm not a plain vanilla kind of girl. How about a strawberry or chocolate shake this morning though. I think I can handle one of those. And maybe toss a few of the blueberry pom and blackberry tea drinks in the mini fridge for later." I leaned over and gave Jack a kiss, smiling at him, a little saucily. "Mmm. You feel good this morning. Taste good, too. You're keeping me all nice and warm. Honestly, you sounded better than any of the food options, but I know I need to work on gaining some weight right now, so shake first. Husband, right after, yes?"

Jack grinned and kissed me back, equally passionately. "If ye want, my love. But that's up ta ye. Ye know I'm never going ta say no ta ye, unless it's because it's hurting one of us or Mark." I grinned and took the chocolate shake from Jack, drinking it down as quickly as I thought I could stomach it. It didn't taste half bad, to be honest. It was a little heavy on the minerals and had a bit of a chalky metallic aftertaste, but it definitely wasn't too bad, and if it helped me gain the weight I needed to... Well, I could stand a few chalky shakes to bring these babies into the world healthy. Jack was watching me closely as I drank the shake, gauging my reaction, I suppose. When I finished the small bottle a few minutes later he took it from me with a very big smile. "Great job, love. How was it?"

I made a face. "Eh. Not terrible, but not great. If it helps me stay healthy, I'll drink a few of them, but they are definitely not something I'm going to seek out on a regular basis. Thank you for looking out for us Seán." Jack just smiled at me and nodded, then tossed the empty bottle in the trash. I was at his side like a shot when he started to move back up the bed toward me. He raised an eyebrow at me. I grinned, pouncing on him, pinning him down. "Hmm, now, my sexy husband, what am I going to do with you first? Hmm? Any ideas? I'm somewhat open to suggestions, as long as they aren't overly athletic, and don't end up flailing around so much we end up hurting Mark in the process." I leaned down and started pressing hot kisses and open mouthed nips along Jack's collarbones, still holding his hands pinned away from his body. Jack rewarded me with a sinful moan and squirmed in place panting, already starting to come undone under my touch. I smirked a little and kept nibbling my way toward his neck, going slowly, taking care not to leave any marks that would last more than a few minutes. Meanwhile, the throaty moans, panting, and squirming were having an effect on Mark too, who had yet to wake up. He was sporting one hell of a hard on, and was starting to grind on Jack's hip, where he was curled against him, where they had been snuggled together when they were asleep. I was laying almost on top of Jack now and even I could feel Mark's attentions. I grinned and shifted slightly, pressing a few quick kisses on Mark's face, hoping to wake him up enough to have him join our fun this morning. He groaned and opened an eye, then blinked as he realized he was rather aggressively humping Jack's hip, and blushed a little. I swallowed any apology he could make up before he could make it though, in a deep, sexy kiss. He growled slightly, deep in his throat as I pulled back. "Mmm. Morning, sexy. How's our super hot boyfriend, this morning? Feeling good?"

Mark growled again and panted, then licked his lips and moaned, and in his deepest sexiest voice answered me. "Well, yes, I feel amazing. That's a hell of a way to wake up, trapped by both my lovely companions like this. How are you feeling though, sweetheart?"

I grinned at him. "Better than I have been. Horny. And guess what boys? We have the whole house to ourselves this morning. No parents. No girls, to wander in during playtime. I even managed to warn off Tyler yesterday during the party, and he promised to pass the message on. We probably won't see the editors until lunchtime at the earliest, unless we call them over, or they see us moving around the yard." I grinned hugely and shimmied around on the bed, rolling over to our special drawer. "Personally, I think we should take advantage of all this alone time, but if the two of you don't want to play..."

I was cut off but flying bedclothes as both of them started stripping out of their pajamas. I grinned and sat up, opening the drawer to sort through our toys. Jack joined me a beat later, grinning. "Hey, my love. What do ye have planned? Hmm? Ye look like tha cat who got tha cream just now."

I smiled and leaned into him, claiming a kiss. "Mm. Just thinking how sexy you are, husband. And I was wondering what you wanted to do today. Actually, Seán, can you carry me to the bathroom before we do anything? I should use the toilet first, and I'm taking the doctor's restriction about staying off my feet seriously."

"Of course, love." Jack nodded, kissed my shoulder, stood up, and lifted me out of the mess of bedding I was tangled in, gently wrapping me up in his strong arms, making sure I felt secure and protected. He smiled as I clung to him, then he held my hand as I did my business and he helped me back to bed, helping me strip naked as we got back. Mark was naked now as well, and grinned at me, reaching out to Jack, to have him settle me next to him on the bed. Jack complied then crawled into bed next to us. He grinned down at me and suddenly leaned forward and grabbed my wrists, pinning me in place now. "Tha tables have turned, my sexy wife. Ye're tha one at my mercy now. What ta do with ye now, is tha real question. I'm thinking ye need some proper attention. What do ye think, Mark?" Jack turned to Mark, a question in his eyes. "Should we tie her up and shower her with all tha attention she's been giving ta us lately? Make her feel as special as she always makes us feel?"

Mark grinned and nodded. "Sounds like a plan." Jack grinned and moved handing Mark the ties from the drawer, moving to tie my wrists up to the top of the bed while Mark took care of my ankles, moving slowly to protect his still healing injuries. I whimpered a little as the guys focused their attention on me suddenly, both of them. Mark start massaging his way up from the bottoms of my feet, loosening every muscle, leaving me feeling like a puddle of melted goo in his hands, but also so turned on and hot I felt like my brain was on fire. Jack was working his way down, kissing, touching, and licking every inch of me, just showering me with love, driving me mindless with his hands, his lips, his teeth, and his tongue on my skin. I couldn't hold my my self back from making sexy little sounds, and neither of the guys wanted me to, telling me repeatedly they wanted to hear me, encouraging me as they practically body worshiped me, until I had come several times and was too tired to continue that way. Jack noticed first and untied me, gently pulling me in for a cuddle and after care when he could tell I was starting to drift into overstimulation and shake with reaction. I actually fell back asleep while he slipped out of bed to go get Mark and I some breakfast, after he cleaned all of us up. By the time we came back with the food, Mark had shifted up next to me and was cuddling me, protecting me while I napped. The smell of the food woke me back up though, making my nose twitch in the air. Mark smiled and rubbed his good arm along my shoulder. "Easy there babe. Jack's back with some breakfast. Are you hungry, or is the smell of the food making you sick again?"

I smiled at Mark, then at Jack. "Thanks guys. I'm hungry. Actually, I'm feeling starved here." I looked down. "I feel like my appetite is just suddenly back, from all those days I missed, and then some. So even though I drank one of those terrible shakes this morning, I feel like I could eat three or four breakfasts. Then lunch. And snacks. Then dinner. And dessert. And maybe somethings else too. I don't know why it just hit me so suddenly." My stomach growled loudly, backing up my words. I rested a hand on it. 

Jack beamed at me and handed me a huge smoothie to start with, then a plate of food. I started attacking the food with gusto, much to both men's amusement and delight. I ate all the food Jack had brought for me and then some, stealing some from both his and Mark's plates. They both chuckled and kissed me, snuggling in close to me and rested hands on the babies, who were rolling around madly, making my baby belly twitch and roll continuously. I was enjoying the peaceful morning though, especially when both guys leaned in close and started talking to the babies, gently rubbing soothing patterns on my belly, calming them down a great deal. I smiled at the guys, truly happily, and let the peace and contentment wash over me, my eyes drifting closed again before very long. I spent most of the morning napping intermittently, curled up with Mark leaned against me on one side and Jack on my other, both of them disinclined to go anywhere either. I have no idea if they napped with me or just spent a lazy morning talking to the babies and each other, like it seemed, but it appeared to be doing both of them a lot of good. By the time I really woke up for the day, at nearly eleven, once again starving, both of them looked more relaxed and less stressed then they had since before we went to PAX. Mark was asleep, his head resting on my baby bump, a tiny amount of drool puddled under his mouth, but I honestly found him so cute like that I didn't even mind. I lifted a hand up and gently smoothed his hair back from his face, looking at him, just happy to see the lines of worry and pain that had been so evident of late were no where to be seen.

Jack noticed I was awake as soon as I moved, of course. "Are ye feeling more rested, my love? Ye certainly look a bit less pinched. Mark and I have been so worried for ye, and I know ye haven't been sleeping, so we wanted ta just let ye sleep as much as ye needed this morning."

I smiled and nodded, then reached my other hand up and and wrapped it behind Jack's head, around the back of his neck and pulled him down close for a kiss. "Mm-hmm. Come here, you sexy, handsome, very considerate, husband of mine. You have both been so wonderful to me lately. And this new medicine is helping a lot. I'm absolutely ravenous today though. I think the pain was really what was holding my appetite back so much. I swear, I could eat an elephant right now." I grinned at Jack. "Or, you know, swallow something else whole. I'm feeling frisky too. But I should eat some actual food, before we play, I think. And this time, I want to make you feel good, Seán. And Doctor Sara said it was still okay, as long as we were careful. I know what to do, sweetie. Actually, I have some ideas again. And since we have the whole house to our selves, we don't have to be particularly quiet, so maybe we can try some things that we've done that you liked, but you had to be gagged or really controlled for. Does that sound like fun?"

Jack grinned at me and shifted a little on the bed, letting me feel him 'interested' he was. I giggled and kissed him, long and slow. He groaned low in his throat. "Love, everything ye do is so unbearably sexy. I can hardly stand it. But I need ta go get ye some food, before ye have yer wicked way with me. What sounds good ta ye now? Any requests? What can I get for ye ta eat this time?"

I leaned into Jack's chest as I thought, cuddling him. "Hmm. A milkshake, a real one, please, with extra chocolate sauce, and a banana. And whatever leftover's we have in the fridge should be fine, Seán. Just reheat a bunch of stuff and bring it in on a tray. We can dish up what we want and repack up anything else later, when we get ready to go. Don't forget, in a few hours, we have to go to Marzia's and Felix's apartment, in costume, to help the kids trick or treat. I think we can get Eddie and Ray to help too, if you want. Ray wanted to see their costumes, and ours, anyway. Oh, and Eddie said he'd record this to go up on the shared channel later, if we wanted." I pressed a fast kiss into Jack's cheek. "And you're dressing as -"

"Anti. I know, love. What's yer dark persona's name?"

I blushed a little and giggled softly. "Well, you have Anti. Mark has Dark. I'm apparently called Agony." Jack raised an eyebrow. I shrugged. "Don't ask me. The fans created her. She's an uber bitch, and kinky as all fuck. Good lord, you should see half the shit under the tag for her on Tumblr now. Oh, and apparently, she, Dark, and Anti are really in a seriously messed up relationship." I shook my head again. "Like, seriously. If you thought the septiplier fanfictions were weird, they got nothing on this stuff, I almost guarantee it. The fans decided both Dark and Anti are pain sluts and Agony is a masochist, so..." I shivered. "Some of it's really, really sick."

Jack's eyes got huge. "Love, I had no idea. Why tha hell did ye read that, if it bothered ye so much?"

I looked at him steadily. "Seán, I need to know what the communities are creating and saying, good and bad. I have to stay on top of things. Some of the worst of it, I was able to nip in the bud and have the authors pull or tone back. They didn't know I'd see it, and were mortified when they realized I did, not wanting to cause any of us problems or embarrass us, just creating what people asked for. Mostly, the fans are respectful when I put my foot down. There have been the rare exceptions, but things usually work themselves out quickly, without me having to resort to too much policing of the community, or mentioning things to the two of you. But this is a big part of what I do, as far as managing the communities. It helps me feel like I'm keeping connected with the fanbases and the fans are connected with us. I've heard the fans say it helps them feel like they are more connected with you and Mark, through me, than they were without me, because they know I'm so on top of everything, and that they know I pass messages on when they should be passed on."

Jack leaned over and kissed me again, slow and sweet. "Love, it always surprises me how much tha fans recognize how much ye do for tha two of us. It shouldn't by now, but it does. And honestly, I didn't know how deeply ye were involved with tha communities." Jack shook his head a little. "It shouldn't surprise me anymore, but it always does. Now, **_mo bhean chéile_** , ye just lay back and rest here with Mark while I go fetch ye some food again. I'll bring back a nice big assortment. Then we'll eat and ye can have yer wicked way with me before we have ta get inta costume for tha Trick or Treating and Halloween party at Arin's and Suzy's tonight. If ye still feel up ta going, that is?"

I grinned and nodded. "This new medicine is helping a lot, Seán. I feel really good. I was just tired this morning, especially after you and Mark were done making me so nice and relaxed." I smiled playfully. "That's why it's my turn this afternoon. Now scoot. These babies are demanding some food, my dear husband. They are going to wake up Mark soon with all their flailing around." 

Jack smiled at me and nodded, stealing one more kiss, then scooted over to the edge of the bed and climbing out. I admired the view of his naked butt as he walked out of the room, gathering our breakfast dishes, without fear of retribution. My prediction about the babies waking Mark turned out to be correct. Just a few minutes before Jack got back with an enormous tray of food, Mark got a rather rude awakening by a tiny foot or hand smacking him squarely in the nose. He grunted and snorted, coming awake with a start. I smiled at him and ran fingers through his hair, soothing him a little. "Hello [y/n]. What time is it? Where's Jack? How are you feeling?"

I chuckled. "Hey Markimoo. It's between eleven and noon. Jack's in the kitchen making us some lunch because I'm hungry. That's probably why you just got smacked in the nose. I'm sorry about that, even if I had no control over it. And I'm feeling pretty good. Hungry and frisky, but good. How are you feeling?"

Mark shifted around on the bed so he could sit up next to me better, grunting a little as he did so, smacking his lips. "Ugh, my mouth is so dry. Why is my mouth so dry?"

I giggled and reached above me for the headboard, handing Mark a bottle of water. "Here, baby. Drink this. You were sleeping with your mouth open. You know that dries you out."

Mark groaned. "I always drool when I do that too. I hate that. Wait. I was sleeping on top of you. Did I drool on you?" I nodded. Mark blushed. 

I pulled him into a hug and kissed him softly. "Calm down. Do you really think I minded? I've had worse than your drool on me. Besides, I love you and I thought it was adorable, so shush." Mark just blushed brighter. I grinned and pulled him into a deep kiss, hoping to make him forget his embarrassment. After a few seconds his eyes slid closed and he melted into me, all thought seeming to vanish. I felt him getting hard against me and gently grinding on me. I grinned and kept going, lingering long on his lips. In fact, our kiss lasted until Jack walked back into the room. His hum of appreciation got our attention, and we broke apart, taking a break to breathe. 

Jack was grinning. "Ye didn't have ta stop on my account, ye know. I was enjoying tha show."

Mark laughed. "So I see. Seems a waste to let the food just sit around though, especially when our dear lady love is so hungry today. You should hear her stomach over here. Let's put a pin in this for the moment, refuel, then get back to this after. It's not like we have anywhere we have to be today, after all. Right?"

Jack and I exchanged looks and grinned. I leaned forward and gently kissed Mark's cheek. "Just the Halloween party tonight and Trick or Treating later this afternoon, but we have plenty of time. Don't worry, Mark, Seán and I have this all planned out. And this afternoon is all about the two of you, not so much about me. I have some ideas I want to try out, so the two of you better just cooperate and enjoy the ride. Now, first things first, food." Jack handed me the giant shake had had made me chocolate raspberry ice cream, a banana, and extra chocolate sauce. I grinned and grabbed the straw, immediately taking a deep drink. It was cold and delicious, and if I hadn't been worried about brain freeze I'm sure I would have inhaled the entire thing in no time flat. As it was, I sat drinking it rapidly while Mark and Jack dipped themselves plates of food. I looked over everything else on the tray, not bothering with a plate, just picking up whatever struck my fancy and popping it in my mouth directly. I was done with the shake before either of the guys knew it, making both of them blink in disbelief. 

Jack took the glass from me with a kiss. "Love, ye must have been more hungry than I thought. Do ye want me ta dip ye a plate?"

I shook my head. "Nah. I'll just eat what I want from the tray, directly. Let's save the work of washing the plate up later. For now, this works fine. I'm just grabbing what I want and if you guys want more you can always just reach over and get it too. Now the two of you need to eat as well. I have plans for you and you need to keep your strength up." I grinned at both of them as they both looked a little startled, then curious at my words. Before long though we had all finished eating, demolishing all the food Jack had brought in, far more than we would have normally eaten. Jack shook his head at the empty tray, looking it over. I grinned at him and raised an eyebrow. "I told you I was feeling starved. Now, set this out of the way sweetie, please. Then lets focus on making you and Mark feel really, really good." I grinned brightly and hummed out a happy noise moving toward the drawer by the bed again. "Hmm. What to do with the two of you? Any requests, boys?"

Jack shivered slightly and came over to my side. "Just one, love. I'd like ta have ye sound me again. And maybe try it with something in my ass this time." 

I looked at him and nodded. "Of course, Seán. Whatever you want. Like I said, this is all about making you feel good, sweetie." I kissed him and gently took his hand in mine. He smiled at me. "I'm glad you liked what I did, and that I did it right for you. Do you want to be strapped down to the bed again, or you want to be able to move around this time?"

Jack looked thoughtful. "Um... Let me think about it, love. Meantime, I can lube up and get tha plug in my ass while ye and Mark figure out what ye want ta do together."

I nodded and looked back over at Mark. Mark was looking through the drawer, clearly searching for something in particular. After a minute he apparently found it, pulling out the electrical stimulation set we had, that we rarely used. I raised an eyebrow at him. Mark looked a little sheepish. "Um, babe, I was hoping, maybe you could, um, tie me up, tight, apply a few of these leads to me, and give me a buzz, while you um..." Mark blushed and looked down, too embarrassed to continue. I was baffled.

"Mark, sweetheart, just ask. I have literally had my tongue in your ass. I doubt you can ask me anything that's going to weird me out. I love you and it's sweet that you and Jack still get flustered talking about sex stuff sometimes, but really. We've all seen, and done, just about everything possible to and with each other. There's just not a lot of mystery left. But that's okay, we still love each other, despite everything. So tell me, what do you want me to do to you, lover?"

Mark's blush faded a few degrees, but not much. "Um. S-sound me. Pl-lease."

I grinned. "Of course. Come here, Mark." Mark slid closer, looking shy. I wrapped him up in a tight hug. "I love you, you goof. I guess you weren't listening to what Jack wanted me to do with him today too, were you?" Mark shook his head slowly. Jack looked up, hearing his name. I sighed. "I'm not sure why both of you seem so embarrassed and hung up on this, but you both want me to sound you today. So the thought of having me slide something inside your dick to make you feel good is appealing. Mark, you want a little extra with yours, and that's fine. Like I said, today is all about making the two of you feel extra special good." I smiled encouragingly at both of them. "Now, I know both of you are incredibly sexy, both to me, and to each other. Do you want to watch me get the other one off, since you have to take turns anyway?" Both men blinked, looked at each other and nodded, clearly starting to get into this. I smiled to myself, knowing who was first. "Seán, my darling, go get comfy, somewhere where you can see us then. Mark, you find a position you can lay in for at least twenty minutes to an hour. I'm not sure how long you're going to last, babe, but you might be in the same position for a while, at least until we can get settled in and everything gets going. Now, I have three questions for you, before we start. First, do you want me to stretch your urethra out at all, or is this just to see if you like it? Second, are we going to be sounding you through multiple orgasms? And third, do you want me to just make you feel as good as I can, including using a vibrator and or dildo?"

Mark blinked. "Yes? I guess? To all three. You can use your discretion, babe. I trust you." Mark got laying down in a position he was comfortable in and gave me a thumbs up. I smiled and stuck the electrodes on him, then used gentle hands to tie him up tight. Jack, I noticed was now sporting a major boner, and starting to leak a lot of precum on himself as he watched me. I smiled to myself, knowing he was going to cum long before I ever even got to him at this rate. Because Mark was nervous about the sounding however, he was only about half hard, which was ideal for a first time sounding. I got him well lubed up, and lubed and stretched his ass, just in case he and Jack decided to play after, or he decided to he wanted to add assplay into the mix, turning on the electrodes just as I grabbed the smallest, thinnest sound, making Mark, twitch just a little and his nipples both jump to attention, looking like they were begging for Jack or I to play with them. Jack practically whined in the seat he was in, he was so turned on now, and he wanted to come join in. I looked back at him, then down at Mark and raised an eyebrow at Mark with a small, sexy smile, slowing my hands and mouth, which had been teasing him a bit already. Mark was already losing himself to the feelings I was evoking, panting heavily, and squirming on the bed, trying not to beg me for more. He missed the meaning behind my raised eyebrow and stilled motions completely. "Babe? What's going on? Why did you slow down?"

I shook my head gently, amused at his already wrecked state, and bent my head closer to Mark's ear, whispering in a low, sexy growl. "It's Seán. Take a good look at him, Mark. He's already so gone, just looking at you, watching me touch you. He wants to come play too. Should we let him? He can help me make you feel even better, so much faster. Just imagine, his soft, hot hands, next to mine, exploring your body, making you feel soo good..." Mark blinked hazily, then looked over at Jack, nearly drooled, and got a lot harder in my hand, whining a little at the sight before us. Jack was twitching, both hands clenching the seat to keep from playing with himself, his dick throbbing to his pulse now, leaking copiously, weeping even, almost an angry purple, and he was grinding on whatever toy was inside him, just going to town against the chair seat, using it to give him as much friction as he could, biting his lip until it was bleeding and raw, trying to so hard stay silent so we wouldn't notice tears were rolling silently down his cheeks. "So what do you think, Markimoo? Do you want a sexy playmate right now? Or do you want me to let him keep playing alone and torturing himself until I have my way with him later?" 

Mark suddenly started humping my hand and panting, then whimpered his answer to me. "God, he s-so sexy like that. I can't take it. He's gonna make me..." Suddenly Mark went soft in my hand as he came around the sound. I grinned and kissed his forehead. He blinked at me. I smiled and held up one finger. He shivered, looked at Jack, swallowed. "I'm ready. Keep going babe. But get Jack over here. If he's going to inspire me to greatness, I need him close by to keep me on track." I nodded and kissed him again, this time on the lips. He smiled into it and melted. 

When we broke apart, I smiled brighter, seeing Mark was already sporting a chub again. He blinked at me and shook his head, looking a little dazed. I giggled, then turned toward Jack. When I looked over at him, I was rather surprised. He had made a mess all over himself and was in quite a state himself, still. I smiled at him and beckoned him over to the bed. "Seán, my love, come over here and join us. I could use some assistance helping Mark out, and he would like your help, mister sexy mess. Mark's decided he wants to have me help him explore and maybe push his limits, going for multiple orgasms, so he needs your help with that too. So far, we got one, no problem, already and he's on his way to the next, but he needs some assistance and someone to help him keep track. Can you help with that part?" Jack nodded, then leaned in close and started frenching Mark, and tweaking his nipples, making him jump and spasm a little. Mark got hard again pretty fast with the extra stimulations, so I leaned down and started sounding him in earnest. 

Mark groaned. "Uhh. This is so weird. Wh-hy does it feel s-so good? Baby, you're ama-zing at this. H-h-h. More. I, I need mo-re. Go bigger. P-please."

I lifted an eyebrow. "Are you sure, Mark? I just barely got started here. I don't want to go too fast for you. I honestly feel like I don't know what I'm doing that well either. I don't want to hurt you."

"I, I'm s-sure. G-go bigger. Much big-ger. Please."

I sighed. "Mark. This isn't a competition. I'll go up one size at a time, and that's all. I refuse to hurt you, just because you got carried away." I sighed again and moved up to the next sized sound, lubing it up and gently inserting it in Mark's urethra. Mark whimpered for a second then shook as his whole body trembled with reactions to the various stimuli. Jack moved a little to pull Mark into his arms and hold him close, giving him an opportunity to grind on him, maybe not so accidentally. Mark bucked back into Jack, a clear invitation. Jack bit his lip, then pressed a kiss into Mark's hair, not taking advantage of the situation, but clearly wanting to and in some pain because of it. Mark panted, whined, and bucked again, going mindless when I twirled the sound, pressing into Jack in a way Jack almost didn't have a choice about entering Mark. He avoided it leaning back again, looking proud. I shook my head and leaned in close. "Mark, love, do you want Jack to fuck you? Is that why you are being such an insistent boy in his lap?"

Mark nodded. "Y-yes. Need it. N-now. F-fuck me. Please. Jack. Hard. F-fill me up, so g-g-g-good. Like, [y/n] is, w-with the s-s-sounds. M-ore. Please. I n-n-need more. Of every-thing. Oh god."

I grinned and nodded at Jack. "You heard him, husband mine. I lubed him up, quite thoroughly. You should just need to add a little for yourself. I thought he might want a toy in there while I was doing this, but I think he's going to like having you in there a lot better. I think you'll like it better too. Just let me know if you feel anything weird on your side, okay? I'm still not sure I'm doing this right."

Jack nodded and panted, grabbing the lube. He lubed up at record speed then slid into Mark and went still. "What tha fuck? Mark? What's that making ye tingly and tighten? Ooooh... That's... Odd. Fuck. Huh. Wow. Mark, that feels really fucking good. Ugh. Jaysus, do that again. Shit man. Can I move?" Mark nodded a little absently, starting to look blissed out. Jack twitched his hips a little and clearly hit Mark's prostate, seeming to pin it against the sound from the other side. Both men stiffened at the feeling and Mark's whole body went rigid as he was overwhelmed with sensations. I slid the sound back out slowly and Mark blissed out completely coming a second time, so hard it actually forced the sound out the rest of the way before I finished removing it and turned off the electrodes. He suddenly blacked out when he came, making a sound I had never heard him make before. I also untied the rope, working around Jack, removed the electrodes, and cleaned Mark up gently.

Then I looked at Mark's face. He was still gone, completely and totally blissed out. I chuckled and pressed a soft kiss onto his forehead then turned to Jack, who was still balls deep in Mark's ass, looking uncomfortably hard and horny. I gave him a saucy smile. "Hmm, looks like you could use some assistance, my love." He nodded. "Well, first you have to leave Mark's ass alone. I know, I know. It's a lot to ask, but hopefully, the reward of playing with your naked, hot wife is enough to entice you."

Jack laughed. "Ye always know just what ta say, lass, ta make me laugh. Come here ye. I think ye well and truly blew Mark's mind. He's gonna be gone a while." I sighed and nodded, leaning into Jack's shoulder. Jack smiled at me. "Good. I like having ye all ta myself. I mean, I don't mind sharing ye with Mark, but I'd rather have ye alone. Ye're very sexy, ye know."

I chuckled. "So are you, Seán. And I wasn't the only one who made Mark into a blissed out puddle of goo. You got him just as riled up as I did, or did you miss that part? You were pretty worked up yourself, so the two of you were feeding off each other. A feedback loop of sexiness. No wonder Mark's circuits got fried. It's like looking directly into the sun. It would be enough to fry anybody's brain."

Jack leaned forward and scooped me up in his arms, laughing, and kissed me. "I love ye, darlin'. Ye make me laugh while still managing ta be incredibly sexy at tha same time, turn me on, and still be cute as a button. Ye keep me off balance in all tha most wonderful ways. Never stop, please." I smiled and snuggled in closer, bringing a hand up to rub against his cheek and jaw. Jack gently kissed my palm, making me still my hand there, just resting it on his cheek, and he leaned his face into the touch, the same way I was leaning, full body, into his touch. Both of us just closed our eyes for a moment and breathed in the peace and contentment we felt in each others arms. Then one of the babies kicked out, hard enough to hit Jack, making his eyes pop open. He looked down to where I was cuddled up, curled against him, and saw my stomach rolling gently again, the babies rocking and rolling to whatever internal rhythms they seemed to be following so intently lately. Jack pressed a kiss onto my nose. "Love, I think we best put a pin in any more sexy time for now. Yer extra passengers are awake and I think they might object."

I laughed. "Oh, Seán, I seriously doubt it. When I'm distracted and we're getting busy is one of the few times they are all calm." I giggled at his doubtful expression and pulled him in for a scorching kiss. "Unless you'll be too distracted. If so, I'll be disappointed, but I understand. These babies are so much more hyper than the girls were." My smile got a little crooked. "The big girls were. Damn, I have to get used to calling them that now. They don't seem like big girls yet though to me." 

Jack smiled and hugged me tight. "I know, my love. It's hard ta imagine them as big sisters. And ye're doing so great with all of this. I can't even imagine how weird it must feel having tha babies moving all tha time like that, being so active. Mark and I just don't seem ta be able ta keep these beans as calm either." 

I smiled and my thumb stroked his cheek, a gentle reassurance. "Hey, you guys help a lot. You manage better than I can alone. These babies just like to party. Maybe calling them rock stars was a mistake."

Jack chuckled again. "Ye could be right, love. Now, my beautiful, sexy wife, I don't want ta disappoint ye, but tha babies are being a might rowdy for me ta concentrate on sex at tha moment, so let's say I try ta calm them down a bit first. Maybe after a little chat between these babbies and Daddy, we can try sexy time again." I smiled and nodded settling back on the bed a little more comfortably, bringing Jack with me. We snuggled up together, with Jack resting his head on my lap, and me almost sitting up, watching him play with the babies, talk to them, and then after just a few minutes, start to very softly sing to them. I couldn't help running my hands through his hair while he sang, making him briefly look up at me, a look of pure love shining out of his blue eyes. I kept my fingers light, just lovingly massaging his scalp, playing with his soft hair, and showing him exactly how much I loved him, as best I could, through this shared touch alone. He relaxed into it quickly, to the point I thought I might put him to sleep, he got so relaxed. Then he just reached up and grabbed my hands, pulling them away and suddenly shimmied his way up my body, quick as a wink, kissing me breathless. I melted completely into it and closed my eyes. I missed his smirk, but I could hear it in his voice, with his next comment. "Jaysus, wife, how can ye relax me and get me all worked up and ready ta explode at tha same time? At least I know ye're ready ta play too. Mmm, ye look positively sinful like this."

I opened my eyes, at least a little, to look at him. Jack swallowed, heavily, seemingly overwhelmed by me. Then I smirked, remembering he probably still had a toy in his ass from before, when he had been so desperate, watching Mark. I slowly reached out for him, pulling him in closer to me, my hands trailing all over his body, not betraying what my actual plan was. When I got him pulled tight against me he moaned, sinfully deep, and closed his eyes, already starting to pant. I smiled and kissed the tip of his nose, then reached down and ran both hands over his ass, making him shiver deliciously. I also felt the toy in him shift and slide out a little. I reached just a little more and found the end of it, then grinned. It was a vibrator, which Jack hadn't turned on. I turned it on now, and slid it back in place, making him buck against me a few times until I held his hips down, firmly against the bed. He opened his eyes and looked up at me ready to beg me, whine, or plead, but saw me just gently shake my head and smiled instead. "Just stay still for me, Seán. I'm going to do all the things you want, but only if you can manage to stay still for me, okay?"

Jack nodded. "Thank ye love. Just hurry, please." He started to pant again. I nodded and moved over to the toy drawer and pulled out the second set of sounds, bringing them and the lube with me. Jack was fighting hard not to hump the bed now, trying to stay still. 

I smiled at him when I got back. "Such a good boy for me. You deserve a reward. Would you like me to suck on your nipples for you, baby?" Jack panted, his whole body drawing tight as he fought not to lose control as he nodded, desperately. I smiled and nodded softly. I reached down and anchored him to the bed with one arm, also reaching behind him and turning the vibrator up to full blast and adjusting where it was hitting now. The sudden change made him cry out and come all over himself, unexpectedly. He squirmed a little more and slowed his movements, in better control. I looked into his face and smiled. Jack panted and tried to slow his breathing a little as he reached for me, a soft whimper escaping his lips. I pressed a kiss onto each of his nipples and started teasing them, one hand circling and teasing over the left while I sucked and nibbled on his right. Jack's breathing sped up again and his hands came up to my hair, tangling themselves in my silky locks, seemingly without his control. Once I had teased Jack's right nipple fully to attention, and then some, I sucked on it for a few extra seconds, then popped my lips off with an audible popping sound and gently blew a cold breath over the now hyper-sensitive nub. Jack positively writhed under me, unable to move, but equally unable to stay still. 

"Love. Please. I need more. I'm gonna come again." He was leaking steadily once more, and had a look I knew well on his face, one that meant he was getting very close again.

I looked directly into Jack's eyes and smiled. "Go ahead, Seán. This is all about making you feel as good as I can. That means as many times as I can. We both know you're good for more than four or five orgasms. Just tell me if you want me to do something more, or if you need something different. I want you to be happy." I rested my hand over his heart for a minute, giving him a minute to catch his breath before I started the nipple worship again, focusing on the other side, my hand playing with his now hard and swollen bud on the right, which was still somewhat damp from my mouth. I was hoping that someday I would be able to make him come just from playing with his nipples, and had gotten him very close, several times, but so far, I had never managed to knock him over that edge from his nips alone. I sighed and focused on his left nub, grazing it just slightly with my teeth after I sucked hard, and was rewarded with a full body shudder as Jack let go again, coming harder than the first time. 

"[Y/N]! Ooooh, fuck me. Jaysus, yer mouth is a miracle." Jack was murmuring, almost under his breath as he started to come down from the crest of the orgasm, before the next one started to build. 

I moved up so I was face to face with him. "Hi there."

Jack blinked, then smiled into my face. "Hey. Ye can stop if ye need a break, ye know love. I mean, this feels amazing, and I love it, but if ye get tired, I understand." 

I shook my head. "Nope, just checking on you. I wanted to make sure I wasn't overwhelming you or making you slip into a bad head space without noticing. Having you talk to me like this helps, but it could still happen, and I never, ever want to hurt you or Mark, so I'm trying my hardest to avoid that."

"Thank ye, love. I'm good. Real good. Hmm. Building up to amazing again, if ye don't slow down that damn vibrator soon. Fuck. Ye found tha magic spot in there when ye put it back in me, that's for sure." Jack panted and squirmed a little again, already starting to work himself into an excited state yet again. "Ye always make me feels so good..." Jack started to drool a little and humped the bed a few times, shoving his ass into the bed as hard as he could.

I arched an eyebrow, then just leaned in for a slow kiss. "Mm. Good. You just lay back and enjoy yourself, my dear. I'll do the rest. It looks like it's time to give you some added fun. Remember, I need you to be an extra good boy and stay as still as you can, okay?" Jack whined slightly and nodded, then whimpered as I shimmied my way down the bed and turned the vibrator down a few notches. "Shh, lover, you're okay. I've got you. I'm just making sure you stay safe while I play with you, hubby mine. I don't want to have that toy accidentally damage you." Jack swallowed and nodded slowly now, trembling lightly in anticipation when he saw me pick up the lube and the first sound. I smiled softly at his expression. "Mmm. Someone's eager for me to start, isn't he?" 

Jack nodded again. "Yes, p-please. I love ye, [y/n]." I nodded and moved into position, bracing Jack so he couldn't shift and hurt himself accidentally, at least not easily. Then, using a firm but gentle grip, I lifted his dick and started lubing the tip up, focusing on the slit, forcing the squeeze bottle tip inside and squirting in as much as I could. Jack's eyes crossed with pleasure the second time I did that and he whimpered again. Then I set the lube down and grabbed the sound, which I had already lubed up, and lined it up carefully, circling the slit of Jack's penis for a few seconds, teasing him. When I actually pushed the rounded tip inside, Jack gasped. "Oh Jaysus. I almost forgot how good this feels. Ugh." I rested my non-lube covered hand on Jack's stomach, marveling in how much the muscles were bunching and relaxing, almost as though he were doing ab crunches, while he tried to fight for some control over what he was feeling, the sensations overwhelming him. Meanwhile, I was slowly and steadily fucking the sound into him, opening him up with this smallest sized one. When I reached the bottom, he was squirming and panting, begging me for more. I smiled and stilled my hand for a minute, reaching over for the next size sound with the hand I had been resting on Jack's stomach. He whined a little as I withdrew the current one, but was eager as ever when we started with the bigger one, making noises that were turning me on just as much as I had him turned on. I was starting to feel like my blood had been replaced by liquid fire. Even the fact that we had been naked all day, in bed, hadn't done all that much to cool me off. By the time I had the second, larger sound fully seated in Jack, both of us were pretty desperate to come. Jack tried to angle the vibrator just slightly differently, but he couldn't get his hands on it. When I saw what he was doing I shook my head at him and started, instead, to run my nails very slowly up and down the veins on the underside of his dick. Jack suddenly throbbed to attention. "HOLY FUCK. DO THAT AGAIN, PLEASE!" I grinned at his sudden shout and complied, leaning down and following the fingers with just the tip of my tongue. Jack immediately came, losing all control. The sound practically flew out of him, with the force of his ejaculation. I blinked in surprise. Jack continued to spurt and ooze come for a lot longer than I expected, especially for his fourth orgasm of the day. When I looked up at his face, Jack was gone, lost in deep orgasm bliss. I turned the vibrator off and took it out carefully, then did my best to clean Jack up. He was still oozing quite a bit of cum, at this point, but there wasn't really anything I could do other than put a cloth over him so he wouldn't be too sticky when he came back down. So that's what I did. Then I moved up the bed, planting gentle kisses on his face and snuggling in close to him for a minute. I could tell he was going to be gone a while, mentally though, so I covered him with a blanket and, with a few more kisses, left him to drift slowly back to reality, going to check on Mark. 

Mark, as it turned out, had just come back from his own mental fuzziness to see Jack's big finish. He watched wide-eyed as I took care of Jack afterwards, tenderly. When I came over to see how he was doing, he smiled at me and pulled me into his chest for a hug. "Hey baby. Come here. You took really good care of Jack and I. You made both of us feel so good we both forgot our own names for a while. You want me to take care of you again for a little while?"

I smiled and kissed him. "Mmh. Actually, if you're up for it, just some plain sex would be wonderful. Jack kinda got my engine going and then, well, I think you saw the big finish there. He didn't even mean to get me going, I don't think, He's just so sexy, and those sounds he makes... Just like you..." 

Mark grinned and kissed me thoroughly. "Hey, if you want sex, that's fine. We don't have to be fancy. Honestly, that's probably all I'm up for now anyway. I'm still a little floaty and over happy from having you and Jack play with me earlier. But I think I can manage some 'plain' sex with my hot, pregnant, naked, girlfriend, who just melted me and my boyfriend repeatedly into puddles of goo." Mark rubbed his nose against mine playfully. "God, you're so cute sometimes, even when you aren't trying to be. It's one of the many things Jack and I love about you so much. Now, you find a comfortable position, babe. One that the babies aren't going to protest if you lay in for a little while so we can have some fun, okay? I'm a little more mobile than you are right now, even with the casts and beat up ribs. And don't worry, I'll be careful and go extra slow. I won't hurt myself. I just want both of us to feel good. Hmm. In fact, why don't I have you crawl into my lap? You can help guide the angle from the top and neither of us will have to worry about the other. We can just focus on what we're feeling."

I nodded and helped Mark lean into a pile of pillows, propped half-sitting up, then straddled him, lining up and sinking down onto him slowly. Both of us moaned obscenely as pleasure and feelings overwhelmed us from the slow speed, but I just managed to keep control enough to stop either of us from losing our heads and speeding up, possibly hurting ourselves in the process. Once I had bottomed out, Mark started a gentle driving rhythm that I found myself quickly matching. Before I knew it, I was panting, losing focus. "Mark, baby, I'm not going to last very long." 

Mark smiled at me, his hands on my breasts, teasing me. "Me neither. Oh, shit. Babe, you're killing me here." Mark ran a thumb over one of my nipples again and I purred out a sound as my orgasm hit me like a freight train, knocking me senseless. 

I felt Mark let go at the same time, saying my name as he came, pulling me into his chest, but I was gone, lost among the stars for the moment. I floated free, dazed, on a cloud of fuzzy, post-orgasm haze, for about five minutes before I opened my eyes to find both Mark and Jack watching me. I grinned at them. "Hi. Did you two need something else, or where you just waiting for me?"

Jack breathed out a sigh of relief. "Lass, we were a bit worried that maybe ye overdid it there. Mark didn't think he had, but he wasn't sure, then ye were just out of it."

I nodded and yawned. "Yup. My brain was in it's happy place. Honestly, I sent both you and Mark to yours earlier for a lot longer. Why were you so worried?"

Mark grinned. "Well, yeah, that's true, but we aren't seventeen weeks pregnant with nine babies either."

I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms. "For fuck's sake. I can take care of us. I didn't do anything dangerous. We just had very gentle sex. It felt good. Now, I'm sleepy. So, hush you two goobers, before you annoy me." 

Jack grinned hugely at me. "Ye've been listening ta me talk too much love. Ye've started picking up my expressions. Ye even had a little bit of the same inflection I do when I say that."

I gave him a look, a long, dirty look. "Seán, I love you, but you are seriously irritating me right now, which isn't smart. I've used that expression for years. Since long before I first saw your YouTube channel, actually since before you _had_ a YouTube channel. But if you keep irritating me, I might just have to go on your channel and mess with you. I still have editing and posting privileges, you know. You might suddenly find some outtake videos posted or bloopers videos released and not marked as such. And a few extra videos up with Mark and I mocking your accent. We have a lot of that kind of footage laying around you know. I have enough footage of you guys saying things I could probably have you clipped saying anything I wanted, If I really tried, without much effort. I even have videos of the girls and your family making fun of your accent when it slips out more than usual." I put a considering finger on my lips. "Hmm."

Mark laughed as Jack turned a little pale. "I'm sorry love. I didn't mean ta mock ye. I was just pointing it out. I actually thought it was cute."

I sighed, then grinned. "At least I didn't launch into the fake accent like Mark does. He sounds like a leprechaun."

Jack laughed, looking relieved, then kissed me, suddenly just pulling my face closer and diving into my mouth. "Ye're so considerate. How tha hell did a loud, annoying, piece of shit like me end up here, with two gorgeous, perfect lovers like ye and Mark, and tha family we have? Honestly, I feel like I don't deserve either of ye."

I kissed him back with all the pent up passion and emotion I had. Jack looked stunned when I pulled back a little. "Seán, my god, you and Mark deserve every bit of the happiness you've found and so, so much more. You have both help MILLIONS of people and continue to do so, without losing sight of the fact that each and every fan is a person, just like you are, and important. Both of you are precious beyond words. Never doubt that. The fans love you both. I love you both. Our family loves you both. We need you." I grabbed a hand from each of them and rested them on my baby belly, letting them feel the babies, who weren't being extremely active, but who were still squirming away, awake and moving. "We ALL need you, both of you, happy, healthy, and in a good mental state. That's why I try to make sure we have days like today, were we can just take a breather, just the three of us, and let the world go hang for a few hours." I kissed Jack's cheek gently, then Mark's. "Now how long will it take the two of you to make yourselves into Anti and Dark for this afternoon's activities? We told Felix and Marzia we'd be at their house by three, if we could, to help get the girls ready. I don't think it will take long to get them in their costumes."

Mark sighed. "Shit. It takes us a while. Jack's got all that makeup to do on his neck, and he has to get the really tight pants on. I have to get all suited up. What about you? Who are you going as?"

I grinned. "Why, my evil counterpart as well. Her name is Agony. She's apparently the one who holds the leashes on Anti and Dark, in ALL senses of the words, is kinky as all fuck, slutty, a mega bitch, and according to most of the lore I've been seeing about her, Queen of the demons or Queen of Hell, there's some debate. She's like a succubus on steroids with more powers who gives less fucks. I kind of like the fact that in most of the stuff I've seen she's not actually evil, as much as she just doesn't give a shit about anything not on her own agenda, but you fuck with her or one of hers and you will BURN." I grinned, amused. "She definite has a few of my personality quirks, but mostly she's my opposite. Fortunately, for my outfit for her today, I'm going with the Demon Queen look, so I have a crown, cape, blood red dress, which is only tight because of the pregnancy, and well, you'll both see the rest when I'm done. There's a lot of fan art for me to go off of though." Jack and Mark nodded. 

Jack scooted over and lifted me up in his arms. "Come on love, let's go get shower and start getting everyone ready then. It's going ta take a while. It's already one thirty." I nodded and relaxed against Jack's chest, helping him balance me as best I could while he carried me into the bathroom and settled me on the shower seat. He gave me a fast kiss then walked back out to get Mark, stopping to get one of the wheelchairs for the trip back. When the guys got back, I turned the water on and all of us showered and got washed up as fast as we could. Jack got all three of us back to the bedroom as fast as he could after, getting our clothes out for us and handing them out from the costume bags we kept them in. I smiled and kissed him, a soft, thank you kiss, on the cheek, then got myself dressed and slid my shoes on. I was fully dressed in within about fifteen minutes, so by two o'clock, I was ready except for the makeup and finishing touches I needed to apply. I watched Mark still struggling with his suit, fighting against his casts. Jack was struggling to get his ear studs in. 

I sighed. "Seán, I can help you with that if you want. Mark, same for you. I know the suit's a bit hard to manage with those casts." Both men looked up, then over at me and smiled brightly and nodded. Jack helped Mark over. "First we'll help Mark. Seán, hold Mark up so we can adjust the suit pants to hang better for him please." Jack nodded and did as I asked. I straightened the leg of the pants, allowing for the cast, removing the bunching up that was making the pants look funny and sit awkwardly. I sighed and we helped Mark into the shirt, then the jacket. I even tied his tie for him, while Jack combed his hair into place, making him look properly groomed for the part. He smiled and thanked us both, kissing my hand and Jack's cheek, then rolling off to apply the finishing touches for the "Dark" costume and persona. I smiled at Jack. "Do you want any help with your neck wound, my love? I'm pretty good at stage makeup."

Jack looked relieved. "Do ye mind? It always takes me forever and it's kind of awkward ta apply. I can't see tha angle very well."

I smiled brighter. "I wouldn't have offered to help if I minded. Go get the makeup you need. I'll wait here. Once you're all ready I need to finish getting ready though. I need a mirror to do my makeup and fix my hair and stuff. Then we can go as soon as you and Mark are ready." Jack nodded and walked out of the room for just a moment, coming back with a small tray of makeup and his spacers for his ears. I helped him put those in first, then did the makeup on his neck while he put in iridescent green contacts. When I finished, I added just a few 'tears' below his left eye of the fake blood as well. 

He smiled at me as he looked in the mirror and nodded. "Perfect lass. I'll roll yer chair in for ye and finish getting myself ready as soon as I get ye loaded and roll ye inta tha bathroom. Do ye need any help with anything?"

I smiled. "Maybe a little. I have to glue on fake horns and I don't want my hair to get caught in the glue. Do you mind helping me with that?" 

Jack blinked and grinned, then shook his head. "Horns, huh? Well, ye did say ye were a demon."

I chuckled. "Yup. I have fangs too. And silver eyes, so I have contacts to put in, to hypnotize my victims, or freeze them, if I need to. And a tail."

Jack chuckled. "Well, I must say, I like tha outfit so far. That dress is a knockout." My dress was actually a maternity dress I had bought specifically for this costume. It was blood red, long and flowing, enormously stretchy, and very flattering on me, slit up my legs, and cut low and sexy on my breasts while still covering me up. With the added cloak, it was easy to hide the sexy twists and more adult themes for daytime wear. I was sure our friends were all going to make plenty of comments though. I twitched my butt on the bed, shifting a little. Jack looked behind me and started laughing. My tail was coiled up under me and poking me uncomfortably. It was just a coil of silk rope, but it wasn't particularly comfortable to sit on. He grabbed it and gently pulled it out from under me, curling it up next to me instead. "Was this bothering ye, love?" I blushed and nodded. He grinned and kissed the tip of my nose. "Can't have that. Now, ye wait right here. I'll be back for ye with tha wheelchair in just a second." I sighed as I waited, mentally going over the outfit. So far so good. I was skipping the high heeled leather boots, but I doubted it would matter with the wheelchair anyway. I needed to sprinkle some silver and gold shimmer dust on my skin, do some outrageous red smoky eye makeup, add blood red lipstick and nail polish, glue on the large twisty horns, add my crown, and figure out how to keep my hair from tangling in both the horns and the crown. Oh, and put in the fangs and secure them well enough to talk and eat later and put in the contacts. Bleah. I looked down and grinned, catching a glimpse of my cleavage. At least I didn't need a padded or push up bra. I was already overly gifted in that area and the pregnancy was definitely making things more exaggerated. I just had to be careful not to bounce out of the top and have a stray boob hit someone. The very thought of that, and the reactions of it happening to any of our friends, made me dissolve completely into a fit of giggles so hard I almost fell off the end of the bed, which is how Jack found me a minute later. He smiled at me and raised an eyebrow. "Love? What has ye laughing so hard? Ye look like ye're about ta wet yerself."

I snorted and kept giggling as Jack lifted me into the wheelchair, my head tucking itself into his should as I tried to calm down. "Um, just a stray thought. Really. Not important."

Jack kissed my cheek. "But if it was that funny I want ta know. I like ta see ye laugh, my lovely wife, and ye seem so serious lately. What tickled yer brain that much?"

I grinned at him. "Well, if you must know, I was thinking about what I needed to get done to finish getting ready and comparing it to the fan art I'd seen of Agony. And well, I looked down." Jack nodded, his eyebrow still raised. I giggled again. "I caught an eyeful of my own boobs and my brain wandered. I was thinking how grateful I was not to need a padded bra or any help in that department, then the havoc that I would create if one of them suddenly broke free or bounced out of my top. I had the mental image of someone getting smacked by one of them and it just..." I started giggling again. "Can you imagine our friends faces? I can. That's where my brain went."

Jack looked bemused for a few seconds then started laughing. "Holy shit. No wonder ye almost fell off tha bed. I think Mark and I would rather ye keep those ta yerself though, love. Well, and us. I mean, we don't really need ye letting tha world see."

I smiled, the giggles slowing down. "I know. I wasn't planning on whipping them out. I'm not really an exhibitionist, you know. It just amused me to think how everyone would react. I think I was just having too much fun picturing the various reactions people would have." I giggled a little again. "I blame anime and video games for some of this too. Too much weird boob physics."

Jack gave me a long look. "Why does this sound like something ye've discussed at length before?"

I grinned. "Because it is. I've devoted hours and hours to it. I even host an entire website where we discuss it and list the worst offenders, in anime, manga, video games, and hentai, because of course that's going to come up. It is the internet."

Jack shook his head. "I feel like, for as long as I've known ye, this should have come up sooner."

I grinned broader and shrugged. "You never asked. You know I watch anime and read manga with you. You know I play video games." I rolled my eyes. "Now, enough of this. I have a lot to do to finish getting ready. Please roll me into the bathroom so I can get started." Jack complied. At first he just watched as I put on my makeup, smiling. Then he offered to brush my hair and suggested I braid it and pin it up, which he did, which I put the contacts in and applied the shimmer dust. He helped me glue on the horns next, which were surprisingly heavy, according to him. I slid the fangs in and painted my fingernails, then had Jack pin the crown in my hair while I waited for the nail polish to dry. When we were done, and my nails were dry, I pulled out my phone and brought up the tag with some of the fan art looking it over for comparison. 

Jack whistled as he looked over it with me. "Love, this is amazing. Ye did an spot on job and these fans really put a lot of effort inta this stuff. No wonder ye are taking so much care with this. We're definitely going ta have ta post some video and pictures from today." I nodded. "Let's go check on Mark, ta see how he's doing. I'm all set now, so we can leave whenever he's ready ta roll."

"Good. Let me just wrap up in this cloak. It's not just for the regal look, you know. I need to stay warm. It's going to help. Plus, I won't be quite so, um, adult themed, shall we say, while we're out with the girls." I chuckled quietly. "Oh, and by the way, if you and Mark are feeling kinky at the party tonight, this costume has leashes for both of you. Silk leashes that attach to my costume and shock collars." Jack's eyes twinkled a little and he leaned in for a kiss. I grinned when he groaned softly as he pulled away, panting.

"Love, ye don't need those ta keep us in line."

I smiled. "I know. But the fans added them to the cannon, so they are part of the outfit. Just be glad I only went with the shock collars and silk leashes. Some of the other ones were a little extreme." 

Jack shook his head at me, still leaned in close, bracing himself with both hands on either side of the wheelchair. "Ye are a devil woman, ye know that?" I started giggling again. Jack laughed too. "Okay, tha irony of telling ye that when ye are dressed that way isn't lost on me. Ye're going ta kill me though, one of these days. I'll just explode in a puddle of mess at yer feet. Then what will ye do?"

I leaned forward and kissed him gently on the lips. "Hmm. Find some way to bring you back to me. I don't think I could go on without you." Jack melted against my lips, stepping forward and sitting in my lap in the chair. We both closed our eyes and just breathed each other in for a minute. A cough from the doorway made both of us look up. 

It was Mark. He was smiling at us. "You two look so sweet like that, sort of. I mean, demonic, but sweet too. Are you two almost ready to go? It's getting close to two thirty and by the time we get over to Felix's and Marzia's it's going to be cutting it close. Jack, babe, you both have a little bit of smeared lipstick on your lips. Actually, Jack, you should leave it. It adds to the look for Anti."

I sighed and grabbed my compact and tube of lipstick and touched it up. It was supposed to be smear proof, kiss proof, but... ...well the company that made it had never met Jack and Mark. I had learned to keep the tube on hand and a small hand mirror in my pocket, which was in the lining of the cloak. I looked at Mark, who was looking very handsome, and smiled at him. "We're all ready. We were just coming to find you when we got a little distracted. I mentioned part of my costume that might apply to you and Jack at the party tonight and Jack was a little eager." I smiled at Jack who hummed and hugged me before standing up and coming around to the back of my wheelchair. "Kinky boy that he is. This is a fan-description based costume, so there are leashes and shock collars for Anti and Dark included." I watched Mark flush a little and shift in his wheelchair, then smile. I shook my head. "You too, huh? Okay, I've got two kinky men. Not surprising really. Anyway, we can decide later if and when we want to switch over to full adult mode. Personally, I'm game, but then again, I'm supposed to be the slutty dominatrix type, so that's not exactly a surprise." I grinned at him as he shifted again, looking a little uncomfortable. Then I winked at him and twirled my tail.

Mark grinned. "Did Jack already call you a devil woman?" 

I laughed and nodded. "That's when he ended up in my lap. He told me the irony didn't escape him, but that one of these days I was just going to make him explode into a puddle of goo and kill him. He asked me what I'd do then. I think he liked my answer."

Jack smiled at me and rested a hand on my shoulder. "Ye know I did. It was super sweet and exactly what I needed ta hear." Mark tilted his head, the question clear in his eyes. Jack smiled at him and helped me tuck the cloak tighter around myself, bundling up so I'd stay warm, then pushing me over to the door. "Our lass told me if that happened she'd have ta find some way ta bring me back because she doubted she could go on without me. Then she gave me a soft, sweet kiss that just melted my heart and I was putty in her hands all over again."

Mark smiled and patted my knee. "Good call. I know you would move heaven and hell to keep both of us here if you could. I think the fans got that part dead to rights. Now, let's go help the girls get into costume. I can't believe how excited I am to do this with them. I mean, this is really the first year they have been old enough for it. Tom and I always had a blast Trick or Treating when we were little. Did you have a long family tradition of doing this, guys?"

I shrugged. "Some years we went, some years we didn't. Until I was about nine, my folks moved every eight months or so. Some places we too new to know any of the neighbors well enough to go. A few years Mom took me to public library Halloween parties. Mostly, we were too poor to get good costumes and I was too big for most of them anyway, so it was tough to find them until I was older, when I started making my own, out of regular clothes. I'm a master of whipping up costumes out of the most random collections of clothing and making something truly impressive, even with barely any time. Sometimes, all I need is an hour. If I have felt, cardboard, cloth, craft supplies, and an afternoon or two, I can make anything, I think. I even took costuming classes in college and impressed the professors. It comes from having a hard to fit body type, or ever having had one. You learn all these weird tricks and tips to try first. It's a lot harder if you're taller than everyone else, bigger than everybody by a lot, but you learn to slouch, or walk so you seem shorter and the hemline sits three inches lower on the choir robe, just like everyone else." I sighed. "Or if you're lucky, the choir has some money and gets a few choir robes for the one or two really tall girls and the five really tall guys who stand in the back any way, but now don't have to feel so self conscious when they walk in and show three to five inches more of pants, skirt, or legs before they get to their spot. One of my two best friends in high school had a similar problem, as the shortest girl in the school."

Jack came around to the front of the wheelchair and looked at me, then hugged me. "I'm sorry love. That sounds awful."

I shrugged. "It wasn't fun. Sorry to bring it up now. I just never had any great Halloween traditions as a kid. College was better. I'd get together with my friends and have movie marathons, with all of us in costumes, and we get food and share and one of us would hand out the treats to any kids who came by. That was great. We would play party games and have a blast all night. Sometimes the party would last all weekend, if none of us had any tests or papers we had to study for and needed to blow off a little steam. One year, we threw a D and D themed party in someones basement, with the Star Wars movies, the originals, playing continuously on loop all weekend. The only break we took was for a three hour LARPing session on Saturday in a local park, as an extension of the game. We even had a few professors playing and we talked one of them into giving us credit towards the class, a creative writing class, based on the story lines and character backstories we wrote for the sessions." I shrugged. "Anyway, that's why it's important for me to make sure our kids have good stable home lives and solid holiday traditions. You guys need to speak up if there are any your families celebrate that I miss, or you want to add, okay? I'm trying to be inclusive of all our heritages and traditions here." 

Jack kissed my cheek softly and stood back up again. "Lass, ye do a fantastic job. We Trick or Treated some, but not much. I mean, everyone knew everyone else in my town. Hell, if I was in trouble at school, no one called Ma, but ye better know she knew about it from half tha town before I walked through our front door that night."

I smiled. "Yeah, that's how the small town we ended up in was, but everyone was related to everyone else, except us. That's part of the reason I was bullied so badly there. I was a safe target. At least for a long time. Then everyone just left me alone, mostly. I never want the girls, or these babies, or anyone else, really, to have to go through anything like what I did."

Mark reached a hand over and rested on mine, twining his fingers through mine. "Baby, we don't want that either. We can't promise that nothing will ever hurt you, or our family, but we're going to do our best to help keep everybody safe. Now, let's focus on some happy thoughts. I don't want to see you spin out into panic." I nodded and squeezed his hand smiling a soft half smile as I felt the babies moving. I closed my eyes and hummed mindlessly. Jack and Mark started laughing. I opened my eyes, confused. Mark looked at me and leaned over the side of his wheelchair and gave me a kiss. "Babe. Did you know you were humming Smash? The StarBomb song?"

I blushed. "Oops. Sorry. I was just thinking I wanted to listen to some music and it kind of felt like the babies were playing a massive game of Super Smash Brawl. I think my brain just kind of took it from there. Plus, well, I do know all the lyrics to all the NSP and StarBomb songs, so..."

Jack and Mark both grinned at me. Then they both leaned over and kissed me, one on either cheek. "Ye're still adorable, no matter why ye ye do tha things ye do, love. Does Danny know ye know all tha lyrics ta his songs?"

I grinned. "Probably not. It hasn't really come up. I mean, he knows we all listen to them, even the girls. Then again, I have a lot of hidden depths that even you two don't know about. I have to keep you on your toes somehow. Now, we have four little girls waiting to see us in costume. Let's get moving you two." I suddenly grabbed the wheels of my chair and wheeled myself away and out the door, leaving the two of them behind suddenly, stumped and scrambling to catch up. I laughed as they chased after me around the yard in a playful game of cat and mouse. I saw the editors all poke their heads into the windows and smile briefly, then Robin, Tyler, and Ethan came out of the guest house and caught up with us. I was giggling as a winded Jack stopped pushing Mark and I rolled to a stopped behind Tyler and Robin. "Hey guys. What's up?"

Robin looked at the three of us. "What the -?"

I looked down. Then I grinned and my fangs were showing now. Tyler blinked. Ethan started laughing. "Um, we're going to do some Halloween stuff. You guys want to come? You're more than welcome. Felix and Marzia could probably use the help keeping up with our girls and these two slowpokes." I stuck my thumb over my shoulder at the guys. "You won't need costumes. Then tonight we're heading over for the annual grump party at Arin's and Suzy's place. You're all more than welcome as well. Costumes are always optional, but we felt the need to dress up as our dark personas since the girls were going as some of the guys egos. Robin, I think you came over after the costumes were finished so you missed seeing them. Sammi is SepticEye Sam, Tiana is TinyBox Tim, Dani is Dr. Schneeplestein, and Steph is Wilford Warfstache. So we kind of have a family theme. And we're going to post some video and social media stuff about it, for the fans."

Jack finally caught his breath. "Lass, how tha hell are ye so fast in that chair? Ye just took off and we couldn't keep up with ye, at all. And I'm not that slow." I just grinned at him, which apparently looked more demonic then I meant it too, because everyone started laughing. Jack just sighed and came over to me. "Ye're going ta be a handful today aren't ye?"

I smirked at him. "Jack, my handsome, sexy husband, when am I ever anything else? Besides, who says you're in charge of me? Hmm? If you didn't notice, I managed to get myself around just fine. I just need help getting in and out of the wheelchair occasionally and someone to help me when there are steps. I let you guys help me though because I know it makes you feel better and I like having you show me you care that way. I'm not totally helpless though, much as you and Mark seem to think I am."

Jack blushed a little. "Clearly not. I've never seen anyone zip around that fast in a wheelchair before. When did ye get so speedy?"

I laughed. "When I was pregnant last time. Or actually when I was recovering. I would use the wheelchair to race in the hall with some of the other patients when the nurses and doctors weren't looking and you and Mark were sleeping or I had actually convinced the two of you to go home and take care of yourselves for a few hours. You'd be surprised what goes on in the hospital halls after hours."

Jack grinned at me. "No, I wouldn't. Mark and I were there, most of tha time, with ye. We saw a lot of that too."

Robin sudden cut in to our conversation. "Uh, wait. Did you just say Jack was your husband? I thought he proposed to you in September. When did you actually get married?" Ethan looked curious too.

Jack and I both blushed. I looked up at him. "Oops. Sorry Seán. Yeah, we got married, earlier this week, at the courthouse. Actually, the same day all of you flew in. We got married in the morning. We picked Ethan and Kathryn up from their flights right after that, while we were still out, and we did a few other errands. It's been a busy week, like we mentioned. It was part of the things I was putting in place to protect Jack from being deported and help his VISA issues get straightened out. We're working with a better legal group now, just a few people, and they are filing the papers that should have this fixed for us pretty fast, but even so, we still want things to be as legally smooth for us as they can be. We also want all three of us to have dual citizenship, so none of this can ever come up again, in the future. The girls and I already have it in fact. Mark's application was started earlier last week. Jack's should have been started yesterday as well, but might have to wait until Monday. These babies will all be dual citizens when they are born." I smiled and rubbed a hand over my belly. 

Jack smiled and leaned in close. "Love, ye know I'm not upset with ye for telling people. I want ta shout it from tha rooftops. Ye were tha one who wanted ta wait, until we could tell our families, in person. Especially after ye got everybody ta agree ta come out for Christmas. I can't believe ye talked yer whole family, and mine inta that. And Mark's. Or that ye got them all booked in tha same hotel and such a good rate by crying like that."

I laughed. "Actually, the tears were less effective than telling them who I was and who you guys were. The manager recognized our names. And more specifically who our friends are. He might have assumed we would recommend the hotel to other people or talk about it on one of the channels. Which we might do, if it's really good, or really bad. But with everyone in a hotel, people aren't all going to be underfoot all the time, but they will still be close by. Our parents are all still going to be staying with us, as are Thomas, Julie, Malcolm, Val, Darrell, Clarissa, and their kids, but everyone else opted for the hotel. I offered Susan, Simon, and Alison rooms too, but they said they would rather stay with everyone else in the hotel this time. I didn't give Maly, Tom, or Darrell the choice." I grinned again. 

Jack kissed me softly. "Good. I want ta have Pearl, Dylan, and Henry close. Susan's kids are little terrors sometimes. They can go back ta tha hotel at night and let us have a little peace at night. Ye got all our favorite relatives ta stay in tha house with us for Christmas anyway. And Ma and Pa are coming back too, right?" I nodded, still smiling. "I'm glad they have been able ta come over so much. I love seeing them this relaxed and happy. I can't remember ever seeing them like this before. They have always been so reserved and tired looking, something about ye just brings out tha best in them, makes everyone around ye sparkle."

I chuckled. "Seán, I think it's just that they see how happy you are and they're happy for you. They see you aren't struggling, that you are truly helping a lot of people, and it makes them proud and happy to know that they raised a good person. And being around happy people tends to make you feel happier about life too. Now, enough being distracted, hubby mine. We really do need to leave. You go help Mark into the car. Let me see if I can find out if Tyler, Ethan, or Robin are coming with us, or if they needed anything. I'll be over in a minute for you to assist me too. Mm. Love you." Jack smiled as I gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek. He walked back over to Mark and pushed him over to the car, helping load Mark into the back seat, then started folding the wheelchair up and wrangling it into the trunk. I looked at the editors and Tyler. "So guys, what can I do for you? Or did you want to come with us? We do have room for you."

Ethan grinned. "I'm not going to say no. Those grump parties are supposed to be legendary. Count me in. Let me go grab a couple of things real quick. I'll be back in less than two minutes."

I nodded. Tyler smiled. "I'm coming too. I had been planning to offer anyway, to drive the three of you. You guys can all ride in the back together. Let me just go tell Jack." I nodded again and looked at Robin expectantly. 

He looked a little shy. "Um, I was wondering if I could have a day to just sit and talk to you and Jack. I feel like I barely know either of you, and I want to get to know you better. If you don't mind that is."

I nodded, feeling relieved. "Of course! Actually, I had planned on doing that anyway. I was kind of hoping you wouldn't mind talking to us tomorrow. It's going to be a little bit of a slow day, so we can all recharge, but we all have too much to do in too short a time to just do nothing at all. So I thought maybe we could talk and meet up with you, Tyler, Ethan, and Kathryn a bit, maybe play some games, for fun. At some point the girls will be coming back home for a little while to film a short video with us, reacting to the ultrasound video we had taken on Friday, but they are going to be spending the night with some of our friends again. Everyone was noticing we were starting to look a little fried around the edges on Friday, so they wanted to give us a few days to just settle and have some calm and peace. We love the girls to pieces, but they can be a handful."

Robin chuckled. "Four little girls? Yeah, I'd imagine they would be all the time, not just some of the time. Listen, can I help you film that video tomorrow? I want to see what your process is like, even if it's not for Jack's channel. Besides, I want to see the results of that scan too."

I smiled and nodded. "Oh, actually, if you want to have help me out with that and really see the babies early, I can give you the DVD and you can load it to the computer, and get it ready to upload to YouTube for me. Just leave it on the shared drive please. I'll post it tonight, late, or early tomorrow." Robin clapped and nodded eagerly. I laughed. "Okay, okay. Actually, once it's rendered, you can just use my computer to upload it. I'm still logged on to the shared channel, which is where it's going. Here you go." I handed the DVD over with a smile. Robin grinned and ran off for the house calling back it would be up as soon as he could manage, then laughing. I giggled softly and started for the car. Ethan caught up to me and pushed me the rest of the way when I was about halfway there. 

Jack smiled. "Well, ye get everyone straightened away? What did Robin want, love? I saw him go running for tha house, laughing."

I chuckled a little and leaned in close. "He wanted to talk to us later, to get to know us. And he wanted to get his hands on the baby ultrasound DVD. I asked him to upload it for me to the shared channel while we're busy this afternoon. I'll keep an eye out for it going up this afternoon. He was kind of excited, as you could see, when he took off for the house." Jack nodded and lifted me gently into the back seat, next to Mark, so I snuggled in close to. He smiled at me and pulled me close. I hummed a noise of appreciated and kissed him gently. That's when he noticed, for the first time, the cloak opened. He tilted his head at me, then reached his good hand up and gently pulled the neck loose. Suddenly, my demure daytime look was gone and he got the full impact of the costume, almost in his face. He blinked and I could almost hear the brain cells frying.

He leaned against me, hard, in more than one sense of the word, and panted in my ear. I giggled and retied my cloak, whispering to him. "See what I mean about my persona being a bit adult for kids? That's why I'm staying wrapped up until tonight. Add in those silk leashes and shock collars and well..." I felt Mark throb against me and he whimpered. I chuckled to myself. "Calm down, Mark. Tyler and Ethan don't need to see you explode in the back seat of the car. And we don't have spare pants for you."

Mark swallowed and nodded, whimpering softly again. He wrapped his arms around me and just held me close, fighting for control. When Jack came around and climbed in the backseat next to me, he smiled at us. I smiled back. Mark just whined softly. Jack raised an eyebrow at me. I grinned at him and we shared a wordless conversation. Meanwhile, Ethan and Tyler had gotten in the front and started the car. Tyler knew the way and we were off. I turned the music on, selecting out NSP, StarBomb playlist and we all smiled and sang along. Mark relaxed a few songs in, grinning at me when SMASH! came on. We pulled up to Marzia's and Felix's right at three and opened the door to the sound of our daughters squealing our names. Apparently, they liked our costumes and were very impressed by them, after they realized who we were. Ti and Sammi actually thought Anti and Dark had taken over their daddies and were crying almost uncontrollably until I explained it was a costume, just like their Halloween costumes. They were a little worried about my horns too, but not too much, fortunately. By the time we had them all changed into their costumes and reassured, it was time for the Trick or Treating event to start. Our section of town had set the hours up so different ages would go at different times and babies to age five were from three thirty to six thirty, ending at six thirty to seven with a costume parade for anyone who wanted to participate. I wasn't sure how long the girls or Jacob were going to last, but I knew they were all determined to try to make it through the whole thing, because they had told me so, repeatedly. Ethan and Tyler had been recruited now to help, and Eddie and Ray had showed up to help, and to film, so we were at an almost one child to adult ratio, taking out the wheelchairs and the people needed to help us with those. Even so, I knew the kids might still be a handful, but I was confident we could pull this off. I called everyone over for one last group hug before we set off, which Ethan captured in a very nice family picture for us. I tweeted it out to our fans and posted it as a 'teaser' on Instagram with the caption 'Soon...' We had also taken lots of closeups of each of the girls in full costume, and a few of each of the guys and me, to add to the album we were going to compile for the fans. Actually, I was having fun, planning the social media interactions around all the family stuff. 

Felix and Marzia had been amused and impressed by our family costume idea, of course. They still hadn't seen most of my costume, or have any idea about what we had planned for the Grump party later, but I knew all our friends would be HIGHLY amused. The guys would get some good natured teasing until I looked at the the person doing the teasing. Actually, with the silver contacts, one look was probably all it was going to take. As it was, I kept making Eddie shiver whenever I looked at him. I heard him muttering repeatedly under his breath about freezing gaze and giving him the chills. I was trying not to giggle or abuse the power, but it was amusing me, a lot. Mark was staying parked next to me, for the most part, whenever we stopped, so the two of us would sit and watch with one of the adults staying with us, as the kids would gather up all their courage and stray costume stuff, look up at the adults who were taking them to the door, then run up and wait impatiently or walk slowly and nervously, depending on who it was and how they were feeling at that particular door, then wait for the grown ups to nod. All five of then would knock and yell "Trick door Tree" which was apparently what they had thought we were saying all along. Then they would hold out the bags they had been given for candy. One of the adults at the door would make sure the kids thanked whoever the person who answered the door was, politely, before they came back over and we moved on to the next house as a group. Ethan and Ray were both filming everything, from different perspectives, so we would have plenty to post later. And a fair number of fans had spotted us as we walked (and rolled) along the street, squealing excitedly or crying out how much they liked all our costumes. By five thirty, Jacob was wiped out, to the point Felix was carrying him on his shoulder and he was barely staying awake. Every time any of us would suggest we should head back though, he would throw a fit, claiming he was awake, and he could keep up with Sammi. All four of our girls were still going strong. In fact the girls made it all the way to the parade, but by then, even they were starting to droop. Ma and Pa had agreed to meet us there, with the van, ahead of time, and I was never so grateful for all my planning ahead as I was today. Tiana and Sammi were curled up in Mark's and my laps when the parade officially ended, at five minutes after seven. Dani was asleep on Jack's shoulders. Eddie was holding Stephanie, who was barely awake. Felix had Jacob, who had finally succumbed to sleep, and was draped over his shoulder, snoring softly, hugging his daddy in his sleep. It was adorable.

Ethan grinned at me. "So, did you plan this? Keep them all so busy and out so long that Jack's parents would have an easy night of babysitting?"

I laughed softly as I rubbed a gentle hand across the top of Sammi's costumed back. "No, but I suspected they weren't going to make it this long. I'm a little surprised they all did, honestly. You have to remember, for all their endless energy, our girls are still only twenty one months old. Most kids under two can't last this long. Ma and Pa should have a nice, quiet evening with them. Actually, the girls would have been good for Ma and Pa anyway, I think. They know how to behave, and they know if they misbehave for their grandparents I'm going to find out and get upset." 

Jack grinned at me and shifted Dani a little. "Yeah. Our girls are smart enough ta fear ye, love. Never doubt that. Now, here comes tha babysitters. Are ye ready for tha party tonight?"

I smiled and nodded. "Yep. I'm hungry again." I laughed softly as my stomach growled. "Damn. You'd think, as much as I ate earlier, I wouldn't need to eat again until tomorrow, at the soonest."

Jack smiled and shook his head as Pa parked the van and came over, taking Dani from him. Then he leaned down and kissed me. "Good. Ye need ta eat more, remember? Tha doctor was worried about ye not having gained enough weight. I'm glad ta hear tha new medicine is helping ye enough that ye're actually hungry, not just that ye're forcing yerself ta eat. We'll get ye plenty of food this evening, and sit with ye, Mark and I, all night." He winked at me. "Ye can show off yer costume a bit more at tha party too."

I giggled, knowing what he was talking about. Ma came over and took Sammi from me carefully, lifting her out of my lap and settling her in the car seat and getting her buckled in, all without waking her. Jack moved to start helping Ma and Pa so that before we knew it, all five toddlers were buckled into car seats, sound asleep, and the rest of us were squeezed into the van or Felix and Marzia's car for the short ride back. The kids woke up when we were helping to get them back inside, but Ma wasn't worried. She told me she needed to get them some dinner anyway, so she just had us help get all five of them inside, into pajamas and into the living room, where we said goodnight before we all left, giving out good night kisses and hugs as well. Right as we were all leaving, Suzy showed up with Katie, already in pajamas and looking almost as sleepy as the rest of the toddlers in the living room. Ma smiled and took Katie from Suzy, settling her on the couch between Dani, Tiana, and Stephanie, who were curled up, under blankets, cuddling a stuffed animal each, waiting for a dinner and a bedtime story with their Sammi and Jacob, who were on the other couch. Pa was in the kitchen heating up macaroni and cheese, broccoli, and chicken nuggets for the toddlers as we were all trying to leave. Suzy smiled at all of us and helped us out to the car, then driving Marzia, Felix, Eddie, and Ray. Tyler drove us and Ethan. Everyone helped unload the wheelchairs and get Mark upstairs, giving Jack and me a moment alone downstairs before we headed inside. Jack grinned at me, kissing me softly, then scooped me up, and carried me up to the party. As soon as we were in the door, he set me down in my wheelchair, and the very first thing I did was have him wheel me over next to the couch. Mark grinned at me and asked Jack to settle him on the couch instead of in the wheelchair, figuring out my plan, and leaning close to kiss my cheek as soon as he could. I smiled brightly at him as soon as he was settled and winked, handing him 'his' collar. He laughed and had me help him into it, then had me attach the silk leash as soon as no one was looking. Jack laughed quietly and had me help him into his shock collar as well, stealing a kiss from both of us after we were all settled. When he straightened up, he grinned at me again. "Love, ye wait right here. I'm going ta go fetch us some food and drinks. Then I want ye ta show off tha rest of yer costume, including attaching yerself ta me. I'll be a good boy and stay with ye for tha rest of tha night unless ye send me off on an errand, okay?"

I chuckled and nodded. "Okay, husband. You better. Those collars aren't just for show, you know. I have then turned down as low as they will go, but if you get out of line..."

Suddenly, both men swallowed and looked at me, squirming. Mark leaned back over and rested his head in my lap, looking up at me. I ran my hand through his hair, floofing it up playfully, teasing him a little, wordlessly, also trying to calm him down. He leaned into my touch and closed his eyes, a sigh escaping his lips. I chuckled very, very softly. Jack leaned against my wheelchair and rested his hand on my shoulder. "Love, are ye trying ta kill us both?"

I looked up at him, noticing how much tighter his already tight pants were. "Mhm. Not really, but that was a hell of a reaction. I figured I might have worn the two of you out earlier, but both of you seem awfully eager tonight. Good thing we have the house to ourselves again tonight." Jack grinned at me and nodded, then kissed me, a deep, sensual kiss, seeming to forget we weren't alone with Mark. I heard various wolf whistles around the room. Jack looked a little pained when he stood back up beside me, making me shake my head at him and murmur softly to him "Am I going to have to cut you out of your pants, love? Are they turning into a tourniquet?" Jack whimpered a little and nodded then sat down next to me when I patted the seat next to Mark. "Just sit here and take a minute to calm down."

Mark scooted closer to me, draping himself in my lap even more. I ran my hand through his hair again. Jack watched and leaned in now too, almost pleading with his eyes. I smiled and lifted my other hand, running it through Jack's hair now. He sighed happily as soon as he felt the first touch, leaning into my touch, closing his eyes, just like Mark. Wade's quiet laugh made me look up, but I just kept rubbing the guys heads and playing with their hair. Wade grinned at me as he kept watching. "Well, this is quite the scene. Who are you dressed up as, anyway [y/n]? I think I recognize Jack and Mark. You guys are Dark and Anti, right?"

I smiled at Wade, my fangs coming into view now. He blinked and took a step back without thinking about it. "Yeah, they are. I'm Agony. She's my dark persona, and she's queen of hell or queen of the demons." I kissed Mark's forehead for a second, making him look up at me. "Sweetie, can you help me adjust my cloak now. It's a little warm in here after wearing it all day." Mark caught my eye and nodded, trying to hide his grin. He helped me adjust the cloak, untying the ties, but not opening them until he sat back in his seat when he handed Jack the other leash, the dark green leash he was supposed to attach to his collar, like the dark red one Mark had on. 

I let the cloak fall open now and shifted my shoulders, letting the full costume come into view. Wade gasped and I saw his eyes bug out. Jack grinned as he hooked the leash onto his collar and leaned in and kissed me one more time. "Love, do ye have any food requests?"

I smiled at him. "Hmm. Why don't I come with you? Mark, will you be okay here for a minute, by yourself? We won't be long, I promise. This way Jack will only have to fight one wheelchair over to the table and back, and I can handle the plates of food and our drinks. What do you want me to bring back for you?"

Mark smiled at me and shook his head. "Whatever you think will be fine. I trust you, babe." Suddenly he got a wicked look in his eye and launched into his Darkiplier voice. "Whatever Mistress Agony thinks should suit admirably I'm sure. She has such perfect taste."

I smirked at him and let my gaze wander over him in a lascivious manner. "Don't you forget it, Dark. You and Anti need to be good boys for me tonight, don't forget. Don't make me punish you." I ran a dark red fingernail down Mark's chin and tapped the shock collar gently, then ran my hand down to his tie and gently straightened it. I could feel Mark's heart pick up beneath my hand as he fought back a surge of arousal at my words and he audibly swallowed. I practically purred at at him. "Now, you stay right here and behave. We'll be back before you know it. Anti, give Dark a kiss before we go, too."

Jack stood up and walked around to push me, making sure I unhooked Mark's leash first. He winked at me as he checked, clearly enjoying seeing Wade's shocked looks as he watched all of this unfold, and the totally tongued tied way he was now just standing there, his jaw dropped. Jack made sure to give Mark a quick kiss, nothing too outrageous by our standards, before he pushed me away, over to the area where Arin was manning the drinks. Jack grinned at him as we came over. Arin laughed a little. "Holy crap, [y/n]. Don't let the internet see that outfit. Jeez. You'll have millions more fanboys drooling over you, and no few fangirls, I don't doubt. Where the hell did you get that costume from anyway?" I grinned and looked at him now. He saw the contacts for the first time and shivered. "Jesus Christ! You're scary as fuck. How the hell did your daughters not crap themselves when they saw you earlier?"

I laughed. "Easy, they knew Momma when they saw her, even with demon horns, a tail, and fangs. Besides, this is my dark side, according to the fans. She's a bit of a freak, but the costume is based off a bunch of fan art, and I tried to be as accurate as possible. And the Internet will see it, soon. Pictures with all of us, including the guys dressed as Dark and Anti and me like this, are going up across all our socials. We'll have video too. Now, we came over to get some drinks before we kind of settle in for the night." I chuckled again. "I might send slave boy here" I waved a Jack, with a grin "out again a few more times, but mostly, we planned to just let people come to us tonight. Today has been a good day though. I'm feeling a lot better, I've been napping and eating, and the guys have been helping me keep these babies from rocking and rolling too hard all day by talking to them, singing to them, and playing with them. They rested and napped with me a lot this morning too."

Arin grinned. "Fan-fucking-tastic. You three have needed a break for months now. Eight babies aren't going to give you one anytime soon, as you know better than any of us. Let Suz and I know if you want us to watch the girls for a night or two so you can relax a little more. I think we can manage that."

Jack smiled. "Thanks Arin. Just two little things. We're expecting nine babies, not eight, like we thought. We found out yesterday. We haven't told everyone yet, but tha video of the scans should be going up soon, if it's not already up."

I smiled and pulled out my phone, looking at the shared channel. "It's up, Seán. It looks like it went live around seven fifteen."

Jack smiled and leaned over for a kiss. "Good. One less thing for ye ta worry about then. Remind me ta thank Robin when we get home. Or maybe tomorrow. That should be soon enough."

I giggled, knowing he had plans for the evening, if I was feeling up to them, which I was, right now. Arin looked at the two of us and raised an eyebrow. I giggled a little more, silently, knowing he was trying to figure out why Jack was going to wait. When it dawned on him a minute later he grinned. "Nice. So you guys are taking advantage of the fact that your daughters and parents aren't home, huh? Can't say I blame you."

I laughed again, as Jack blushed a little and held my hand. "Yup. Plus, we're kind of still celebrating the fact we got married on Wednesday. Even if this isn't the big 'wedding' that we're going to have later, and we aren't really doing anything about it." Jack's blush got a little brighter. I grinned and patted his hand. "Add in the fact I'm four months pregnant and the hormones that got with that and well... Yeah. We have the house to ourselves. I'm finally not in pain to the point where I can sleep and eat again. What do you think?"

Jack suddenly clapped a hand over my mouth again. Arin started laughing, doubling over behind the bar. Danny and Suzy, who weren't standing too far away, wandered over to see what was going on and looked bemused by the scene now in front of them; Arin, laughing himself silly on the floor, Jack, blushing the color of a tomato, dressed as Anti in a shock collar, leashed to me, and me dressed as Agony with Jack's hand over my mouth, silver contacts in my eyes, looking entirely too innocent, especially with the horns and outfit I was wearing. Danny took one look at me and grinned. "Damn girl! That's a hell of a sexy look. And you have your husband on a leash already? What does your boyfriend think of that?" I giggled and pointed, Jack's hand still over my mouth. Danny looked over and laughed, noticing Mark's leash now too. "Nice. Now, what did you say that has poor Jack so flustered this time and Arin rolling on the floor?"

Jack glared at me. I grinned at him and tried to move his hand with one of mine. He shook his head. "No fookin' way. Ye're going ta start oversharing again." I looked at him. He shivered a little, meeting my eyes. I opened my lips a little and darted my tongue out, licking his hand with a tiny little kitten lick. The result was impressive. Jack swore and I felt him get hard behind me. He looked at me again and practically whined, nearly humping the wheelchair. "Love, ye're killing me."

I smiled at him, my fangs resting on my lower lip. "Maybe you should have thought of that before you decided to misbehave. Don't forget, I have all kinds of ways to punish bad behavior. Some are just more fun for me than others."

Jack swallowed and shifted, clearly extremely uncomfortable now. Danny cracked up, joining Arin on the floor. Suzy grinned at me. "Why even bother with the collars? You have those two well in hand without them. I mean, unless they are for some other reason, and if so I want details."

I laughed. Jack groaned and shifted again. I looked at him, then sighed. "Seán, go get some food for you and Mark, please. You can try to calm down while you do that. I'll stay here and talk to Danny, Arin, and Suzy and get all of us some drinks. Then you can come get me and we'll go load up a plate for me, okay? You can cuddle with me after that. And if you behave, I won't have to keep sending you into over tight pants territory. Now scoot your adorable butt, hubby mine. I'm hungry and these babies want food soon. I might get cranky if I have to wait too long." Jack whined softly until I looked at him. Then he sighed and nodded. I patted his ass cheekily as he walked away, earning a yelp and look from him and further gails of laughter from Arin and Danny. 

Suzy pulled a bar stool out and sat down, smiling at me. "So, how are you doing, sweetie? It looks like you managed to get both Mark and Jack out of their own heads a little, which is amazing, and all three of you seem remarkably relaxed for all the shit that's been going on with you lately. How are you feeling today? What did the doctor say to you yesterday? Are you and those babies doing well?"

I smiled, my expression getting soft. "I'm doing better than I have been in a long time, honestly. We spent all morning resting, napping, cuddling, and in bed together. All three of us have been needing the down time, more than any of us knew I think. And Doctor Sara is amazing. She did the ultrasounds yesterday, three of them, including a three d scan, so we got some really good images. We posted the video on the shared channel a little while ago, or actually Jack's new editor got it ready and did that for me. He was so excited to see the video he couldn't wait, and I let him take care of that so I wouldn't have to worry about it. We did have a little surprise at the appointment. We have six little girls coming, two sets of triplets, a set of twin boys, and another little boy we didn't know was in there, tucked behind his sisters." I looked down and rubbed my belly with a small smile. "All nine of them are healthy and growing well. Doctor Sara was more worried about me. She had to put me a painkiller because of how fast the babies are growing, a muscle relaxant to help with the pain, and I was told I need to be gaining a lot more weigh. I have to start going back every week again, and need to be gaining at least five pounds a week for now." I sighed. "I feel like I'm already huge, but the babies need me to do this. I have to keep them safe for as long as I can Suzy." I looked up at her, tears prickling at the corners of my eyes suddenly.

Suzy came over to me and hugged me. "I know sweetie. You do an amazing job protecting everybody, but now, you have to take care of yourself. Nine babies huh? That's awesome. What do the girls think?"

I sniffled a little. "We haven't had the chance to tell them yet. Sammi is going to be thrilled. She specifically asked me for six little sisters you know."

Suzy laughed. "Wow, custom ordered, just for her. That's a good mom indeed. What do Jack and Mark think?"

I looked over at Mark, then at Jack, who was filling two plates now. I smiled at them. "They're both thrilled from what I can tell. And worried about me. And relieved the babies are doing so well. And nervous about having nine babies at once." I sighed. "Conflicted, but mostly happy. Jack's so relieved with how things turned out yesterday with his VISA, even though it hasn't been totally resolved yet. Did Danny tell you what was going on with that?" Suzy shook her head. I smiled a wobbly smile. Danny came over and sat down with us, having heard his name, and being under control again, so did Arin. I smiled at the two of them. "Hey guys. I was just telling Suzy about what the doctor said yesterday. I was going to fill her in about what happened with Jack's VISA, but I can talk about the babies some more. We can even pull up the video of the babies and watch it, if you guys want to. God, I remember staring at the video of the girls for hours that first day. Jack, Mark, and I haven't even had the chance to look at this video again yet." I chuckled softly. "Well, maybe we could have this morning, but we were busy."

Arin snorted and laughed. "Yeah, so you said. Too busy getting busy. God, you had Jack so flustered there I thought he was going to explode. That was hilarious."

Danny grinned at me. "Ooh. Did you share details? Nice. You aren't usually so forthcoming."

I cackled. "Nope. I just explained we were kind of celebrating the fact Jack and I got married Wednesday. And mentioned about the hormones associated with where I am in the pregnancy. I'm in week seventeen after all, or maybe eighteen now. My libido definitely has hit overdrive. Oh, and we were both mentioning the fact we had the house to ourselves this morning. That was probably the biggest reason we were all so frisky. Well, that and being relieved about Jack's situation."

Danny laughed. "Hmm. Somehow, I suspect you don't need any excuses. You just do what you want, when you want and the guys just have to go along for the ride. Not that I blame them. You can pretty much lead anyone you want around by the nose, and people thank you for it." I gave Danny a long, slow look, raising an eyebrow. He suddenly shivered. "Shit. Stop that."

"Behave yourself then. Don't make me have to actually say what I'm thinking, Danny. Besides, I know you too well now. You couldn't handle me. Trust me."

Arin and Suzy grinned and ducked their heads, hiding their smiles behind hands when Danny blushed bright. "Um. Yeah, I think you'd probably kill me." He sighed and gave me a long considering look just as Jack came back over. "But what a way to go. I think it might almost be worth it to try it, someday. If I'm ever feeling suicidal, I'll let you know."

I shook my head, taking it for the joke I knew he meant it as, but I saw Jack scowl as and his expression darken, his face looking like a thundercloud. I reached up and stroked a hand down his cheek to calm him down. "I'll keep that in mind if I ever manage to kill Jack and Mark, like they are always telling me I'm going to do. They keep claiming I'm going to just make them explode into puddles of goo or make their hearts explode. For now, I'm happy with them and I don't think they want to share me anymore than they already do."

Jack blinked at me and his expression cleared, a sheepish smile replacing the stormy scowl. He leaned over and kissed me gently. "Love, ye're right. We don't want ta share more than we already do, except with family. Besides, I don't think Danny could handle ye. Ye're a wild woman."

I grinned evilly, allowing my full amusement to show, forgetting my costume for the moment. Arin and Danny both shuddered. Jack got a little pale and shook his head at me. Suzy just laughed as she took a picture. "Sweetie, that's terrifying. Holy shit. Here, look." She turned her phone around and showed me. I blinked and looked at the photo. I looked truly possessed. Between the lights, which were low and had a red tint, making the gold dust on my skin glint ominously and the red and silver dust seem to glow and spark, the horns, my expression, the fangs, my makeup, my outfit, and the way the lipstick had smeared from repeatedly kissing Jack and Mark throughout the afternoon, I looked like something out of a demonic nightmare. I smiled a little, amused. Suzy shook her head at me. "You want me to send you a copy of that picture?"

"Oh, yes please. I actually like that one. I look quite scary, but in a good way. I want to show the fans how much effort I put into the costume and being true to what they created for my dark side. Not that I didn't have a dark side before they named 'her' as such, but well, I want to show the fans I appreciate the effort. Agony may be a bitch on wheels, but she's still a lot of fun to pretend to be, especially when I have Anti and Dark with me." I looked at Jack with a grin again. "You guys like this too, right?"

Jack grinned as he practically drooled into my cleavage and leaned against me. I chuckled at him. "Lass, of course we do. We love it. And we'd tell ye if we didn't, _ **mo bhean chéile**_."

I smiled and shook my head gently at Jack, ruffling his hair. Arin cleared his throat. "What the hell did you just call her? It sounded a little rude, man. I'm not sure why she doesn't seem upset with you for it."

I giggled. "Calm down, Arin. Jack knows I've been learning Irish. He likes to call me his wife in Irish, ever since he found out I know what it means. I like it too. I think it helps him feel more connected with home, or something, and honestly, I just like it whenever he calls me his wife. It gives me a thrill and makes me feel all warm and fuzzy, no matter what language it's in. Jack told me yesterday he was extremely proud of me for learning to speak Irish as much as I have, all on my own, this far. He wants to help me more, soon, but he hasn't had the chance yet. I'm hoping after I'm confined to bed rest completely, maybe he will." I stroked a hand down Jack's jaw, as he still leaned against my chair. Jack closed his eyes and leaned into my touch, then just followed my hand forward, kissing me, seemingly unable to stay away from me. I hummed out an appreciative noise, which he soon matched with one of his own. 

Danny broke the moment between us. "So are the two of you going to put on a floor show for us, right here? I wouldn't really mind, and I doubt Mark would object, but I think Suzy and Arin might."

Arin laughed. "Hey, speak for yourself, man. Jack's a sexy dude. And I had no idea what a sexy friend [y/n] really was until I saw her dressed like that. Jesus. I think she'd make a dead man stand up and take notice. How the hell did you not get arrested during the kiddie parade earlier? Or at the very least, mobbed by all the single parents, and creepy parents who wish they were single?"

Jack laughed as he sat down in my lap. I hugged him close for a minute. He patted the babies, feeling them squirming around, then looked at Arin. "Thanks Arin. Um, we can keep it in our pants, for tha moment. And she didn't get mobbed because she's a smart lass who wore a warm cloak that ties up tight ta her throat. She was totally covered all day and no one could see how sexy she really was. It's been driving Mark and I crazy all afternoon though, just knowing she was dressed like this under there, our sexy secret. We've both spent far too much of tha day at more than half mast because of her."

I laughed. "Oh, poor baby. I trapped you in bed with me all morning, then made you feel all horny all afternoon. How the fuck do you think I've been feeling, being pregnant for the last few weeks, Seán? All that increased blood flow to certain areas and super sensitivity..." Jack's eyes darted to me, then away again and he blushed brightly. His hand clapped over my mouth again. 

"For tha love of god, STOP! Our friends really don't need ta know that about ye, love. For fuck's sake..." Jack sighed and shook his head, then moved his hand away from my mouth, seeming resigned to whatever I'd say next. "Ye seem so determined ta share things with Arin, Suzy, and Danny today, lass, that I really am not comfortable with. Can't ye please, for me, tone it back a bit?"

I sighed. "Fine. Just for you, hubby mine. Now, Seán William McLoughlin-Fischbach, I was going to tell them about how things went with the legal team and your VISA. Is that okay, or do you want to discuss another topic? I know it's still a sore spot for you, sweetie." 

Jack smiled as he leaned into me, his smile brightening when I called him my husband, and growing again when I called him by his full name, including his new last name. He chuckled softly. "Let's talk about tha babbies a bit first, angel. Unless ye're sick of talking about them?" I shook my head and smiled. Jack nodded and rubbed my tummy almost absentmindedly. "Good. That will help keep me calm. Then we can talk about tha shit show around my VISA for a bit before we grab ye some food and go sit by Mark."

Suzy shook her head. "No way. Jack, you go get [y/n] a plate of food. Arin, we hired a bartender for a reason you know. She's standing over there, waiting for you to let her do her job. Let her take over. You get us some drinks and get out from behind that bar. We'll all come talk to the three of you at the couch. Besides, we want to hang out with Mark too."

I smiled and tried to hide a yawn. Then my stomach growled, loudly. Jack smiled at me and shook his head. "Thanks Suzy. Ye're right. Tha lass needs ta be eating again. She needs ta gain weight, a good bit of it, by next week, according ta her doctor, or she's going ta be back in tha hospital until tha babies are born, and none of us want that. Come on love, tell Arin what ye want ta drink, and let's go load ye up a nice big plate of food, as much as ye can stand."

I nodded. "I'm not going to argue with that. Arin, can you get me three of bottles of water, and a iced tea, please?" I looked at Jack and raised an eyebrow he smiled sheepishly. I sighed. "Make that two teas. And a lemonade for Mark, if you've got any. If not, he'll take a tea too."

Arin chuckled. "Sure thing. What's up with asking for all the water though?"

I smiled crookedly. "I don't want to have to keep sending people over to get us drinks. Mark and I haven't been drinking enough. We've both been hearing it from the doctors, so I'm just trying to make sure we don't have to send poor Seán off constantly, once all three of us get settled and comfy. I know Mark and I are less likely to mention we need something if we're all comfortable too, so it's just thinking ahead. I try to do that for as many things as I can, you know. Not just work stuff, or keeping the family protected and on track." I sighed. "It's easier with some things than with others, of course." Arin grinned and handed the bottles of water over to me.

"Here. You take the waters. Suzy, Danny, and I will bring the teas over when we bring our drinks in a minute. You and your new husband go get that plate of food and go get settled next to your boyfriend." Arin waved me off with a grin. I laughed and nodded as Jack pushed me over to the long buffet table and handed me two plates and a small stack of napkins.

"Here, love. Ye best load up two plates, so we don't have ta come back over soon. What looks good ta ye?" Jack slowly pushed me along, helping me fill the plates with goodies, some of which were for him, but mostly were things for me, or things for Mark that Jack hadn't seen the first time he went past the table. I grabbed plastic flatware from the end of the buffet table and Jack pushed me back over next to Mark, then lifted me gently into the couch next to Mark, helping me settle into place quickly. I handed Mark a bottle of water after I was settled and told him about the additional drinks coming in just a moment. He smiled and gave me a kiss, reattaching his leash to my outfit and snuggling into my side happily. Jack sat down on my other side and did the same thing, stealing a kiss as well. I sighed happily and rested my head on Jack's shoulder when he pulled me in close. Mark leaned on my shoulder, stretching out his bad leg, then he leaned forward a little and kissed my baby bump before he sat back up and curled into my side again and smiled at me. I smiled back and shook my head, slightly amused. Jack sighed happily and pressed his lips into the side of my head, handing me a plate of food. "Love, here. Ye need ta eat. We're watching ye, so get going. Now that all three of us are comfortable, people can come ta us for a bit."

I chuckled. "That was the plan, Seán. See, here come Suzy, Danny, and Arin with those drinks for us now. They just wanted to give us long enough to get settled in after you helped me get some food. Thank you for that, sweetie. The babies and I all appreciate it." Jack smiled but didn't move, looking too happy and content to be bothered with something so trivial. I started eating, picking through the food for my favorites first. I did remember to tell Mark about the things we had gotten for him on both plates and make sure he took some of those things, but mostly I just sat and ate steadily, around talking to everyone, trying not to talk with my mouth full most of the time. Mark and Jack kept leaning in and pressing kisses on me, wherever they could reach best, while I ate, happy to see me listening to the doctor and doing what I was supposed to, eating, resting, and relaxing. I think they were also relieved I was staying in between them, so they could both watch me and cuddle with me without worrying. I didn't say anything about it to either of them, just continuing to eat and talk to our friends who came over. People drifted in and out of the conversation, which was lively. The guys got plenty of good natured teasing about being my sex slaves or pets, because of the collars, until I turned cold eyed stares on the person making the comment, which immediately made them shut up and squirm or beg for mercy and shiver in place, claiming they felt like a pinned bug, under a shard of ice. Jack would shake his head and kiss my neck every time, rubbing my shoulders frequently. Mark was almost constantly rubbing my tummy, keeping the babies amused and calm, which I very much appreciated. Between the two of them, I felt loved, warm, and very cared for, as I always did when they were around. Danny hung out with us most of the night, offering to fetch us food and drink refills as we needed, and Jack took him up on it. 

By around ten thirty, when the party was well and truly underway and everyone was starting to get a little tipsy, with the exception of our group, Mary, Ken, and a few other people, most of whom were driving later, both Jack and Mark were starting to get impatient to get home. I could tell both of the were riled up and ready for some alone time, especially Jack, who couldn't seem to stop himself from nibbling my neck, sucking small hickeys, and rubbing against me, full body, in slow, torturous movements that let me feel exactly how excited he was to get me home and out of this costume. At some point during the evening he had managed to shift me into his lap, so I was fairly sure no one but Mark and me knew what he was doing, but both of us knew and it was driving us crazy. Mark was torturing me in his own way, whispering very dirty things to Jack and me in his sexiest possible voice. I was trying to hold it together and not melt into a mindless puddle of need in front of all our friends, but I was starting to have a really hard time with things, especially when Mark rolled himself over onto me more and his boner hit my hip. He unconsciously ground into me a little, before he caught himself, then blushed and looked around. Then he looked at me. He grinned. "Uh, Jack? I think you better stop for a while. We're not the only ones worked up right now."

Jack lifted his head from my neck and raised an eyebrow. "What are ye talking about Mark?" Mark's eyes cut over to my face. I was flushed and panting shallowly, my eyes were closed, and I was on the edge of an orgasm already, just from what the guys had been doing and my own hormonal overdrive. Jack blinked when he saw my face. "Holy shit. Love? Are ye okay?"

I panted softly, biting my lip to keep from moaning obscenely and nodded, somewhat jerkily. I opened my eyes and looked into Jack's. He swallowed at what he saw there, losing all train of thought completely. Mark chuckled. "Yeah, that's about what I thought. She's worse off than we are, Jack. Come on, I'll text Tyler. He can drive us home." I nodded and closed my eyes again, trying not to wriggle in Jack's arms, much as I wanted to, to gain that little bit of friction I'd need to set myself off, mostly because I wasn't sure if I could stay quiet and none of us needed the fallout from our friends hearing that, especially in the middle of a party, when no one was nearly drunk enough yet to forget it happened. I instead focused on trying to calm myself down, working on taking deep breaths. It worked, mostly, and after a few minutes, I could fake it enough to talk to Felix and Marzia when they walked over to our group. Jack couldn't manage very well still and just stayed quiet, ducked behind me. I mentally chuckled. Mark and I took the lead. "Hey Felix. Hey Marzia. What's up? Thanks for watching the girls for us for a couple of nights. [Y/N] was right, we needed this more than we knew. We're all so exhausted and tense, it's just ridiculous."

Felix nodded. "Well, for all that they are as hyper as Jack is, they well behaved. And Sammi is really cute with Jacob, much as I hate to admit it."

I grinned. "Yeah, you and Seán both. I asked him about that the other day, but never really got an answer. What exactly bothers you so much? I think it's cute, personally. We know they don't really know what a girlfriend and boyfriend are at this point, and they have no idea what sex is, so it's not like that's the issue here. I asked Seán if it was because it was Jelix, the next generation, but he just groaned and tried to change the subject. Is that whats bothering you about it? Personally, I think part of it with Seán is the fact that Sammi has declared she loves anyone other than her family, who's a boy, and he's a little..." I trailed off thinking, trying to come up with the best word.

Marzia grinned. "Possessive?"

I laughed. "No, not exactly. Not exactly jealous either. Protective maybe. They all have him so wrapped around their little fingers, it's ridiculous. I know he just wants then to be happy and safe, but it was making him all grumpy the other day."

Felix grinned at me, then noticed Jack was almost hiding behind me and the littering of hickeys on my neck. His grin got bigger. "My, my. Were we interrupting something? We can go away so you bros can get back to it, if you want. Or we can just let you get back to it and you know, watch, for inspiration or something."

I lifted an eyebrow to epic heights. "Okay, what the fuck. I think this costume is dangerous, guys. We might have to seriously rethink ever doing this family outfit again. That's the third time tonight. Jesus."

Jack laughed and kissed the back of my neck again. "Love, I think maybe it has less ta do with tha costume and more ta do with tha woman in it. Ye're damn sexy. And ye look so confident, happy, and just amazing tonight. It's why Mark and I can't stay away from ye either."

I giggled. "Okay. Well, I thought there were other reasons for that too, bit fine, I'll accept that. Still, Holy hell. Our friends are all showing how kinky they are tonight, that's for sure. I think they want to hire us as the floor how for the next party."

Arin, who was hovering close by, grinned hugely. "Hey, that's a great idea. Would you be available for next Halloween? We could book you now, to make sure. And we'll pay for the sitters to watch all thirteen of your kids." I looked over at him, giving him a slow, cold stare. Jack and Mark both stared at him too, disbelief on their faces. Arin just grinned. After about a minute, he shivered and caved. "All right, all right, it was a joke. Jesus Christ, turn those damn cold eyes off me. Fuck! Jack, Mark, how the hell do you live with that stare in the same house? It gives me the heebee jeebies just to think about it."

I laughed quietly. "They just take care not to earn it, Arin. So far, they've only had it turned on them a few times, ever. I'm just very, very good at it, when I need to be. Now all you kinky fuckers better behave and find some other source of entertainment for the night. We're getting tired. Well, I am. Tyler's coming to drive us home." I faked a very believable yawn and closed my eyes, leaning into Jack again. He hummed softly, kissing my neck again. Mark went back to rubbing my baby bump. I could hear Jack softly chuckle in my ear after a minute when everyone wandered away. Ethan and Tyler showed up just as the crowd dispersed around us. I opened my eyes and smiled at them, a little tiredly. "Ethan, if you want to stay, my brother can give you a ride back out to our house tomorrow. Or Felix and Marzia can, if you ask them. They have the girls overnight, and I'm sure they would love the extra help with them in the morning, especially if Felix is hungover. Just go ask Marzia. I know you were excited to come to the party and I have to make you miss out, just because I'm so pregnant and tired we have to leave early." I yawned again, actually feeling a little tired now that I was thinking about it. Jack and mark exchanged looks and kissed my cheeks as they helped me sit up.

Ethan blushed and grinned at me. "Nah. It's fine. I've already gotten to meet a ton of cool people and hang out. Besides, I'll be out here in LA permanently, so it's not like this is the only chance I'll ever have to go to one of these parties, right? And I'm not drinking anyway, so it's fine. I'm going to go back to your house and start working on finding an apartment so I can get myself settled soon. I might even do a late night stream , if you guys don't mind."

I flapped a hand. "Wouldn't be the first one, and I'm damn sure it won't be the last. We stream whenever we can, the mood hits, and the time allows. There shouldn't be any issues with bandwidth slowdowns at this time of night, and we have fractal t-three so it's as fast as it gets in this area. Go for it. I mean, I've been known to have Jack streaming at the same time as Mark, on separate computers, with barely any slowdown, on our system, so you shouldn't have any hiccups. Just let us know tomorrow if anything acts weird for you. I'll help you troubleshoot before your next stream. But not tonight."

Jack smiled and shook his head. "No, love. Not tonight. Tonight ye are going ta go home and go ta sleep. We finally got ye ta eat today, so now we need ta help ye catch up on some of that missed sleep. No arguing. Mark and I will help ye get comfy, and snuggle with ye, get tha babies calm, and maybe sing ta them. Ye just relax, okay?"

I sighed and leaned against him, nodded, then caught his eye and raised an eyebrow. He raised one back. I grinned. He gave me an exasperated look and smiled. Mark caught the exchange and chuckled, then leaned forward and kissed me on the cheek, whispering softly to me. "Fine, if you want to play with us, we can play some first too." I smiled and hummed a positive answer. Mark kissed me again. "You're adorable and incorrigible. You know that, right?"

I giggled. Ethan helped Mark into the wheelchair first. Jack gently lifted me up. I thought he was just going to carry me over to the wheelchair, but he asked Tyler to just take the wheelchair down to the car and load it in the back. He just carried me down, tucking my cloak around me tight before we started moving, so I would stay warm, carrying me like a queen the whole way. I cuddled in close, trying to help as much as I could by balancing in his arms. Jack just smiled at me and kissed me again when he set me gently on the back seat of the car, then went to help get Mark down the stairs and over into the car. Once Mark was in the car, I snuggled into him, curling up a little, to give the guys more room on the back seat with me. Jack uncurled me into his lap as soon as he sat down, pulling me into him for a better snuggle. I didn't fight it, at all. He ran his hands through my hair, lifting the crown off and unpinning it, setting it and the pins aside for the moment. Then he very carefully unbraided my hair and let it down, releasing tension and a headache I didn't even realize I had until he started gently massaging my scalp. I whimpered a little and closed my eyes as his fingers took the pain away and he made me feel better. Mark, meanwhile was keeping the babies calm again. By the time we got home, I was putty in both of their hands, so relaxed I felt a little too loose to move on my own. Jack chuckled when he opened the door got out because I half followed him, without meaning to. "Come here, love. Ye really are relaxed, at last, aren't ye. All loose soft under me. Mm. Ye feel good like this. Let's get ye in tha house and ta bed then. Tomorrow is another day and ye will be busy. Up ye get. Good girl." I went where Jack lead, mostly because I was too limp to do otherwise at the moment. He grinned and carried me into the bedroom, laying me on the end of the bed with a gentle kiss. "Ye just wait here for Mark and I love. If ye feel up ta it, ye can start taking that costume off. Especially those horns and tha contacts. Maybe leave tha dress. We'll be back before ye know it."

I blinked and rolled over just enough to reach the case to put the contacts back in and managed to take them back out. Then I reached up and started removing the horns, very carefully, using my nails to get under the glue strip and gently pry it off my skin without taking a layer of skin with it. I had just managed one by the time Jack came back in with Mark. Mark grinned at me and growled as Jack closed and locked the bedroom door behind him. I raised an eyebrow. "Seán, why did you bother with that? Nobody's home tonight but us."

Jack just grinned. "I don't care. Ye've been driving us crazy for hours. We both want ye, now. No distractions. So tha door gets locked. I locked tha front door too." Jack immediately grabbed the tub of wet wipes and started removing the fake blood from his neck and under his eye, then took out the contacts. Mark started working his way out of his suit and used a few wet wipes to take off his stage makeup. He was the first one naked and on the bed. I smiled at him as I untied the cloak again. He swallowed and I watched his dick jump to attention, his whole body tightening with reaction. Jack growled too, and whined. I looked over at him and licked my lips, my eyes half closed. Jack whimpered as he tugged at his pants, the zipper stuck because of how tight they suddenly were. "Love, ye're killing me."

I sighed. "Seán, come here. I'll help you." He whimpered with every movement he made, clearly in pain. I helped him get the zipper unstuck and down on the jeans, then the very, very tight skinny jeans down his hips and off him. He sighed with relief when they hit the floor, until I suddenly leaned forward and captured him in my mouth, startling him with a blow job. Mark blinked, watching. Jack looked down and swallowed back a noise. I looked up at him, as best I could, and half shook my head, letting him know I wanted to hear him. 

He sighed. "Lass, I wasn't... Oh god, yer tongue is amazing. Uhh. Do that again, please. Oooh. Ooh. Oh." Jack started to pant as he got closer and closer to the edge of his orgasm. When I reached up and ran light fingernails over his balls the way I knew he liked, he spasmed in my mouth and came down my throat, slumping onto the bed next to me. I smiled at him as I helped him ease onto the mattress. He just blinked at me for a few seconds. I chuckled, then reached over and pulled his shirt off him, carefully. I shimmied out of the dress and my underwear and crawled up the bed next to Mark.

He grinned at me. "Hi there, sexy. Come to play with me now?"

I laughed softly. "Yeah. Seán needs a minute or two to recover, I think. He wasn't expecting that. But he had been driving me insane at the party, sitting there under me, grinding on me like that and sucking all those hickeys into my neck. I just couldn't hold back any more." I shifted so I was laying more on top of Mark now. "I need you too."

Mark's eyes darkened with lust and he nodded then leaned into me and he started nibbling my earlobe while he teased me a little, sliding up and down against me, not entering me, just sliding his hot length against my wet heat. I whimpered and moaned, giving in to the sensations, losing myself completely. When he finally slid into me, I was gone almost immediately, a tidal wave of orgasm dragging me away, swallowing me whole. I felt like my whole body had been replaced by a star, so brightly burning and pulsing was my release. It was made all the more intense by Jack joining the two of us just before it crested. I felt him slid up, along my body, and start stroking my clit with one hand while he opened my ass and prepped me from behind, then eased into me. I slowly floated back to my body, and was a little surprised to feel myself still going, both guys still chasing orgasms, and me apparently urging them on as well. I could feel the coil of another epic orgasm winding in my belly, tightening, getting ready to release. I started chasing it harder, urging the guys on harder, not noticing Mark had already cum twice and was done and Jack was orgasming a fourth time himself. I just knew I was close and needed that final push to get up over the crest and come one more time. Mark whined a noise my brain recognized and I was able to pause long enough to have Jack and I roll away from him to let him settle. He was done. Not oversensitive, just done. Jack took that moment to move around and shift me so he could play with pussy better and see my breasts. He hit his final orgasm just as he pushed me over the edge of my orgasm as well. The world went white and disappeared for me completely. I didn't even feel the guys gently cleaning me up, or the soft kisses they pressed into my cheeks. I simply went from blissed out to sleeping somewhere along the way. I didn't wake back up until morning, when I felt much, much more relaxed and rested than I had in a very long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took a while. I'm battling some pretty bad depression right now. Plus this is long as fuck. As always, long chapter takes long time.
> 
> One more side note here, all but the last bit (the actual part after the Halloween party) was written before Mark's livestream (where he had shock collars). :/ Sometimes some of the the things I write end up being closer to the truth than even _I_ intend. I was watching that livestream though (and donated as much as I could, unfortunately that was less than $5, but I can't work right now and am on a very fixed income so there's only so much I can do), but it was definitely awesome to be part of that. We helped raise over $400,000 in less than 12 hours people! So cool!
> 
> As I mentioned in my note at the end of the most recent chapter of **How We Met** , I'm taking a (hopefully brief) hiatus until at least after the new year, as soon as I can push out updates on each of my main stories. This should let me get all my ducks in a row, mentally, and a little planning done, but as always, if y'all can't wait and just must see more sooner, send me a message and I'll see what I can do to speed things up. So Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Thanksgiving a few days late (to all my fellow Americans), Happy Boxing Day, and Happy New Year (as well as any other celebrations I happened to have missed that you celebrate that I missed). Now, since I'm updating this so late in November, this might not be the first one I come back to, but we'll see. Sometimes I get these creative bursts for a particular story and I just have to go with it. If that's the case, this might get updated sooner than New Year's, but no promises at this point. I will still be writing, but hopefully this break will let me get a little ahead, unless my endless rounds of doctors appointments and the holidays just swallow me up completely.


	30. Sunday Surprise*

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A day full of emotional ups and down, as you, Jack, and Mark are all trying to deal with the mental fallout from everything that happened last week and FINALLY get a bit of rest.

I woke up on Sunday morning propped up on Mark's chest, cuddling Jack in close to me, holding me like he was afraid I would be hurt if he let me go. Mark had his arms wrapped around both of us, holding us close as we all slept. I smiled sleepily feeling cherished by both of them, cradled between them like this. Honestly, this was one of my favorite ways to wake up in the morning, especially on days when I didn't have to get up and instantly go run to the bathroom to be sick. This morning, I was feeling more rested, relaxed, and just better than I had been since probably before the girls had gotten sick just before PAX. Yes, I had to pee, but it could wait a little while. Even the babies were being fairly calm this morning, just gently rolling around in my belly, not kicking and squirming up a storm, making me ache or it hard for me to breathe. I smiled and ran my hand down over my belly, thinking about the babies again. Nine little babies. Six more daughters and three sons. Our lives were already full of sound, joy, adventure, and wonder, mostly because of the girls. What new enrichments were these new little ones going to add to our lives? I let my mind wander, daydreaming about the babies for a few minutes, trying to picture what they might look like when they were born, based on what the girls had looked like right after they arrived. I didn't notice Jack's eyes open, or him watch me quietly for a minute or two, his smile growing before he leaned over and kissed me. "Morning love. How are ye doing today? Feeling okay? Ye look gorgeous and sexy as all hell, but that doesn't mean ye always feel good."

I looked over at him and hummed a small, happy noise. "I'm feeling great. The babies are all calm this morning and happy, not being hyper and kicking the crap out of me. I think they liked our activities yesterday. I'm feeling all rested and relaxed. I woke up being held by my two favorite men in the world, making me feel even better, and I don't hurt or feel sick at all this morning." I leaned over and kissed Jack back. "Mmm. You look sexy as hell this morning too, husband mine. You always look sexy to me, even when you don't feel great. That just makes me want to make you feel better, then do things to you and with you, to make you feel even better and put a smile on your face." I grinned. "I would think you and Mark would have figured that out by now. You're both so gorgeous and sexy, it gets us all in trouble sometimes." I stroked a hand down Jack's jaw, a smile on my face. He grinned at me, catching my hand in both of his own, and kissing it sweetly.

"Yeah, ye're right. Ye and Mark are that sexy. But ye usually aren't tha one who starts tha problems for us, love. Now, what were ye thinking about before I distracted ye? Ye looked so happy, but ye also looked like yer mind was a million miles away. Was it anything good?" Jack shifted a little so he could rest his head on my shoulder and look into my eyes.

I smiled. "Yes, it was Seán. I was trying to picture what the babies were going to look like, after they get here. I was kind of going based on what the girls looked like, right after they were born, baby pictures of the two of you I've seen, and the pictures and videos I've seen from when I was a baby. I was honestly just letting my mind wander after I started thinking about them. I'm so excited about this, sweetie." I snuggled closer and grabbed one of his hands, gently guiding it over my baby bump. Jack smiled softly at me, looking joyful and practically ready to float away. I couldn't resist leaning forward slightly and pressing my lips lightly on his forehead. I closed my eyes, breathing in the calm, sharing the connecting and emotions between us with just this simple touch. 

Jack shifted and moved, lifting his face to meet my lips with his own. "Come here, wife. Ye look too good ta resist this morning." Jack kissed me deeply, leaving both of us breathless after a few minutes. When we separated, I rested my head on his shoulder, smiling, and just looked into his face, losing myself in his eyes, the beautiful cerulean depths as familiar to me as the insides of my own eyelids. Jack reached a hand up and stroked my cheek gently, seemingly lost in my eyes as well, emotions swirling between us both. "I love ye so much, lass. I can barely believe we got married, less than a week ago. I'm so happy." 

Both of us jumped slightly as Mark chuckled. "You two are adorable this morning. And both of you look so sweet, happy, and content laying here with me. Please tell me we don't have anything we have to do today, except spend the day relaxing and taking care of each other."

I turned in Jack's arms just enough to look into Mark's eyes now. "Morning sexy. No, we don't have to do anything today, or not much anyway. We did promise to talk to Robin some and record a vlog with the girls telling them about the babies, but other than that, we don't have to do anything at all. Marzia and Felix aren't bringing the girls back home until later anyway, and Robin wants to help us record the vlog, so he can see how I record things. He asked yesterday, before we left for the Trick or Treating and he uploaded the video of the ultrasound." I smiled and hummed out a soft noise of contentment as both men reached hands out and stroked my baby bump, making the babies roll gently. Jack and Mark both chuckled softly. "I'm looking forward to a little quiet time, honestly. I think I'm going to let Adam train Robin as much as he's willing, and see if Gary will work with Ethan and Kathryn. I really could use a bit of a break instead."

Mark and Jack both leaned in close and kissed me. "Absolutely babe. If Gary won't, or can't, work with Ethan and Kathryn enough, I'll help train them. You should be resting more. It'll do all of us good to see you take it easier for a while. We could all use a break."

I smiled and nodded. "Mhm. I think we can arrange that. Vicki already told me we could have Gary and Adam for at least a week, if we needed them, and after this week, Adam will be on our staff full time, working for me as an editor. If we need to have him work with Robin, that won't be a problem. I'm not really recording that much extra anyway right now, except videos for the shared channel, and I can edit those, if I have to." I closed my eyes for a minute as the babies moved gently and I stretched my back a little. Mark smiled softly and used his hand in the cast to gently rub the small of my back. I melted into the feeling as my muscles loosened under his tender care, whimpering an involuntary noise. "Oooh, god Mark. That feels amazing. Thank you, sweetheart. You always make me feel so good."

Mark chuckled softly. "Of course, baby. You just rest. Let Jack and me take care of you. Cuddle up here in our arms, let us keep you all nice and warm, that's my girl. You're so sweet and soft. Just close your eyes again. Good girl." Mark hummed softly, trying to lull me back to sleep, massaging the knots out of my spine. Instead of making me sleepy however, he was making me incredibly horny and my breathing sped up until I was softly panting, practically purring under his touch, and grinding on Jack, who was still holding me close. 

Jack groaned. "Jaysus Christ love, ye're going ta kill me if ye keep doing that. Calm down a little or at least slow down a bit." Jack leaned forward and nibbled a spot on my collarbone, drawing out a small mewl from me. Jack growled and started undressing both of us, going slow, not noticing Mark was now using both his hands to massage my back, ass, neck, and shoulders, running the fingers of his injured hand along the cleft of my ass periodically just to make me moan and twitch under his hands. I was a melted puddle of need, hot and pliant in both men's arms, unable to express what I wanted or needed at this point because I was so overwhelmed with the feelings the guys had already drawn out of me. All I could do by now was feel and produce small sinful sounds, which spurred both of them on, like throwing lit matches into gasoline. Jack took a moment to lift his head away from my collarbones to look down at me, completely naked under him now, and shake his head, trying to regain control, I think. My brain was too fogged with lust my that point to be sure what he was doing though. "[Y/N], ye are so beautiful..." He leaned close and kissed me, hot, hard, and deep. Both of us were gasping for air when the kiss broke a moment later and I felt a little dizzy. I opened my eyes, which I had closed sometime during the kiss, when Mark started gently fingering my ass open with his good hand. I bit my lip and squirmed a little, trying my best not to hump his hand, making Jack chuckle softly in my ear as he gently nibbled my ear. "Calm down love, Mark and I will make ye feel good, just ye wait. Patience."

I panted and reached a hand up to stroke Jack's cheek. "P-please... Seán,I n-need you b-both. Fuck me." I could feel my whole body tightening up and reacting to everything as the guys continued to make me feel good. I was getting so overwhelmed with sensations that I couldn't even focus on forming words any more though. I started making wordless grunting sounds, small mewls of neediness, and moaning as I wound tighter and tighter. Jack was talking to me again, saying something to me, but I was so lost in what I was feeling, the way my body was responding to the two of them, I couldn't understand anything he said. I felt like my bones were melting and my entire body had been replaced with liquid magma, I was so hot and melted. Mark murmured something behind me as he slid his hand away from my ass, and I whined, trying to follow without thinking. Both men chuckled and kissed my skin. I made another noise and opened my eyes, looking directly into Jack's eyes.

He was just inches away from me and as soon as he caught my eye, his expression changed from amused to surprised, then deeply aroused. He growled, a deep sound full of passion and hunger that did nothing to cool my overheated state, then he moved, slipping forward enough to line up and enter me, going slow enough it felt almost torturous good. Mark chose the same moment to finish lubing up and rock into me as well. I threw my head back and lost control completely, my orgasm rolling over me, long, hard, and earth-shatteringly powerful. When it finally ended, after both men had come, more than once each, we all just laid there, cuddling, too exhausted and overwhelmed to move for a few moments. Finally, Mark lifted his head and kissed my shoulder, sweetly. "Sweetheart, are you okay? That was really intense, for all three of us, but I think especially for you. I've never heard you make a few of those sounds before."

I blinked, still feeling boneless and mentally floaty from my orgasm. "Hmm?"

Mark smiled and rubbed my shoulder with his hand, pressing a few more sweet kisses in, not being sexual, just cuddling me and letting me know he was there and he loved me. "I asked if you were okay, babe. You seem a little more scattered than usual, after sex."

I blinked again, a few times, and tried to gather my mental reserves. "I feel all floaty and everything is soft, fuzzy, and just nice. I'm good. Mmgh. So good. How are you doing, Mark?"

Mark chuckled. "Not bad, baby, but not that good. I'm all relaxed now, and you made me feel wonderful, like always, but you sound like that was almost a religious experience."

I nodded. "Nearly. Mmm." I stretched slowly, languidly, and yawned. "I haven't felt this good in ages. Now, I'm starved." 

Jack laughed and kissed me. "I'll go get ye some food, love. Ye want anything in particular?"

"Food. Lots of food. All of the food." Jack and Mark both laughed softly. I grinned at them. "Let me get dressed. I want to come cuddle Mark on the couch this morning. Robin wants to come meet up with us and get to know us, or at least Jack and I, so if the three of us are out in the living room, it's going to be a lot more convenient." I smiled and looked at both my handsome men, laying here with me. "I really don't want to scare him off, having us all be naked or something when he comes looking for us. Plus, I think we can just cuddle today, rest, and relax. We can always come back and later for some adult playtime, in the name of taking a nap, or needing to lay down to rest, if we really want or need to."

Mark rubbed my shoulder, gently and offered me a kiss. I smiled at him, stroked his cheek and met his lips with mine without hesitation. He smiled back as we separated, then stroked my baby belly, leaning in close to talk to the babies. "Good morning to all my little rock star babies in Momma's belly too. How are you doing this morning? Are you all being good for Momma, or are you making her achy and sore already? We need to make sure you all stay nice and calm for the next few days to give her the chance to catch up on her rest, maybe gain a little more weight to help the whole bunch of you grow up nice and big and healthy, and most importantly make sure your Momma is as healthy and happy as she can possibly be, to make sure she can keep taking care of the nine of you for as long as she can. You are all our miracle babies, and Daddy, Momma, Stephie, Sammi, Tiana, Dani, and I, your Papa, love you, very, very much. We need you to stay safe in Momma's belly for as long as you can, even though it's going to be crowded, because she's going to be your best bet for a good start in life, okay? So be patient and just stay calm in there. We know it's hard to wait. Momma's doing her best to make it as comfortable as she can, we promise. Daddy and I are doing our best to take care of her too, along with all our friends, your honorary aunts and uncles, as well as your real uncles, aunts, grandparents, and lots of other people who you will all get to meet when you're ready. You nine will have just as many fans as your big sisters do, and as your Daddy, Momma, and I do, probably. People all over the world already know about you, and want to meet you, just like the rest of our family. But they will have to wait until after we get to meet you, and after it's safe. I think probably most of them will have to wait at least a year, even to see pictures, what do you think, Momma?" 

I smiled at Mark and nodded, running a hand through his floof of hair. "Probably a bit less than that, but not a whole lot less. I want some private time with the family, before we unleash the fans on everyone. I'm sure we'll post some pictures, even from right after the babies get here, but I plan to wait to release those for a little while, if we can. The fans are pretty good about respecting our privacy, usually, especially if we tell them we will share things eventually, we just want a little breathing room to ourselves first. I think they are going to understand, especially with nine little ones coming at once." I shook my head and looked at my baby belly again. "Jesus. I still can't believe we have nine little ones on the way. We're going to have thirteen children under the age of two and a half years old in just a few months. What the hell are we going to do?" I looked up at the guys, going extremely pale, as a little bit of panic took over my brain as I realized what this meant, one of my hands instinctively going to my stomach, covering the babies a little, the other still in Mark's hair. 

Jack came over to me and kissed me gently, lifting me gently away from Mark's side and holding me close as he carried me to the bathroom. "Come on, _**mo bhean chéile**_ , let's get ye in ta tha bathroom. I bet ye could stand ta use tha toilet. While ye do that and get yerself gathered for tha day, I'll get ye some clothes. Ye and Mark can cuddle on tha couch while I make us all a fast breakfast casserole. While that cooks, I'll come back out and join ye, and we can all watch tha video of tha babies we got from tha doctor. I'm more than ready ta just sit and watch it, probably all day, on a loop, like we did when we got that very first video of tha girls way back when ye first had tha heart trouble in Ireland. Once tha food is ready, we can eat, out on tha couches today, I think, and just keep snuggling, and watching tha video until Robin comes over, or until tha girls, Ma, Pa, and Felix and Marzia show up. It's just going ta be a quiet, restful, snuggly day for all three of us."

I smiled at him, wrapping my arms around his neck to help him balance me better, my momentary panic subsiding. "Thank you, Seán. That sounds perfect. You can cook whatever sounds good to you today, I'm not going to be picky. I fact, I'm going to let you make all the decisions, all day. I'm just going to kind of turn my brain off, if you two don't mind. I need a break. All the stress is really getting to me and I know I've been over-thinking things, so having a day where I just don't think about anything, if I can actually manage it, will really help. So today, nothing related to our channels, the TV show, or social media, please, beyond just the little bit we need to do when we talk to Robin, to get to know him and when we record the girls and their reactions to the news about the babies. I'd rather spend my time just relaxing with the two of you and not thinking. Maybe we could watch some YouTube videos we've been meaning to catch up on, but haven't had time for today, like some of our backlog of the Grumps playthroughs, some Watch Mojo videos, Good Mythical Morning, Sci Show videos, or something. I don't know, I just want us to all have a nice, day without stress where we can _all_ relax, together. We deserve it after these last few days."

Jack nodded and looked back at Mark, who was also nodding. Mark had scooted to the edge of the bed and was gathering his clothes, getting himself dressed, as best he could without help. Jack set me down on the toilet and went back into the bedroom to get me something to wear for the day. I sighed and started getting myself ready for the day, taking care of business, washing myself up, using the toilet, brushing my hair and teeth, and generally straightening myself up. By the time Jack came back, a few moments later, fully dressed, I was already as ready as I could be, waiting for him. He helped me get dressed, then carried me out to the couch in the living room, setting me down carefully before going back into the bedroom and getting Mark, in the wheelchair. He helped Mark from the wheelchair onto the couch next to me, where we immediately curled up into each other, earning kisses from Jack before he headed into the kitchen to start breakfast. "Ye two just get comfy. I'll be back in just a few minutes. In tha meantime, find something fun ta watch, maybe, or just get yerselves arranged on tha couch in a way I can come join ye when tha food is in tha oven. I love ye both. I'll be right back."

Mark wrapped his good arm around me as he got settled and rested his arm in the cast on my belly, his fingers tickling my skin, making the babies squirm. Mark smiled when he saw the movement and hugged me a little tighter with his good arm. "Mm, this is nice. We haven't had a calm day like this in far too long, when we didn't have to get up and run off to do half a million other things later, like yesterday with the Halloween party and Trick or Treating stuff. I know you had everything planned out really well and we didn't have to do that much here, but it wasn't all that restful, and we need some time to just do absolutely nothing at all. I'm thinking maybe some games, for fun, just the three of us, while we veg out in from of the TV with food and drinks, watching YouTube and the baby video all day. We can talk to Robin, Ethan, Tyler, and Kathryn, or they can join us for some games later, if we want, as long as it stays chilled out and relaxed." Mark kissed my shoulder as he got settled in a little more. "And we have to make sure you get plenty to eat, of course. That and keeping the babies as calm as we can are going to be the number one things on both Jack's and my list of things to do today, I think. You just tell us what sounds good to eat, how we can help you, or if we can do something to make you feel better. You've been focusing entirely too much on making sure the two of us are taken care of for too long. It's time we focused on you for a while, sweetheart. No arguing. You managed to get Jack's VISA, if not completely secured, settled enough it's going to be really hard to tear him away from us, and completely impossible before the babies get here. You've been taking amazing care of me, ever since I hurt myself, including getting things set up so we have hardly missed any uploads on my channel, and what we have missed were because I wasn't feeling up to uploading and vetoed what we had in the backlog, or changed the order of things at the last minute to make a change, without telling you in time to get things done in time for the uploads to make it out on time. You've been recording with me, as my hands, just like you did when Jack got hurt right after we first started working together, and the fans love it, even though it's making a lot more work for you to keep up with." Mark kissed my cheek. "I don't know why you put up with all the crap I put you through sometimes, baby."

I leaned on him, smiling, and closed my eyes. "Mhm. You're worth it Mark. I love you dearly, even if you are a lot of work sometimes. Jack is too, and so are the girls. Worth it, I mean." I paused and smiled at him. "Though to be fair, you are all a lot of work too." I snuggled in a little closer and shivered a little, feeling cold.

Mark nodded, smiling at me. "Thank you for thinking so baby. You are definitely worth the effort too, sweetheart, by the way,and a lot more. Always. Now, was that shiver from being cold again?" I nodded, snuggling as close to Mark as I could, curling into his chest. Mark sighed and wrapped his good arm around me a little more and grabbed the blankets off the back of the couch, tucking them around me tight, and himself to a lesser extent, making sure I was covered as thoroughly as he could manage one-handed. I helped him, cocooning myself in up to my chin before snuggling back tightly against his side. He chuckled softly and kissed me one more time, this time on the forehead. "Is that better angel? I don't want you getting a chill."

I smiled sweetly at him. "Yes, thank you, Mark. I can't wait for these babies to stop stealing all the warmth from my body. I thought maybe it would have already happened, since the first trimester is over, like it did with the girls, but so far it sure hasn't. Maybe it's just because there are so many more of them in there. I don't mind huddling under blankets to make sure everybody stays warm if it keeps all of us safe though, even if it is a bit inconvenient." I sighed and shifted, trying to get the babies to move a little, so they were in a less uncomfortable position for me. They were all squirming terribly today, ever since we had all gotten out of bed, giving me a case of indigestion even though I hadn't eaten anything yet, and making me feel mildly nauseous, something I was far too well acquainted with. I didn't want to mention it to Mark and Jack, just to have them worry, at least not yet, not when I was hoping I could get the babies to move a little and relieve the pressure on my stomach to solve the problems. I looked at Mark. "Hey Markimoo, let's try cuddling up laying down here on the couch. Seán can join us when he comes out, and we can stretch out your leg and ribs better this way, not to mention letting me get the pressure off my belly and back more, which will be better for the babies. Do you mind?"

Mark smiled and shook his head. "No, babe, that's smart. Here, let me lay back first so I can help you. You can lay in my lap, and I'll support your baby bump with my good arm. Your body will help cradle my bad arm and ribs, stabilizing them and keeping my leg in place too." Mark laid back, guiding me into position, showing me what he meant. "See? Now Jack will have room too, either in front of you, or if he wants to pull up the bean bag, sitting right there, by your belly, like we both love to do." Mark wrapped his arms around my baby belly, rubbing gently. The babies immediately moved down, away from my stomach, following the new movements, as I had hoped, and the change in position also relieved the pain in my back. I sighed happily and closed my eyes, letting contentment settle throughout my body. Mark started to hum a soft tune, one I didn't recognize right away, but I didn't really focus on it either, just letting my mind drift in the peace. 

Jack came in a few minutes later. I was almost asleep again by that point, I was so relaxed. He chuckled softly as he hugged me. "Good job, love. Now, do ye want me ta snuggle with ye and Mark on tha couch, or sit and try ta calm tha babies? I can pull tha bean bag chair over and sing ta them, ta try ta get them ta quiet down for a bit if ye want me too."

I opened my eyes with a smile. "Mhm. Seán, _**mo fhear céile fheictear,**_ come snuggle your wife and boyfriend."

Jack grinned at me. "My, my. Someone's been practicing her Irish. Good on ye, love. I love ta hear that. Ye sound so sexy when ye say things ta me in Gaelic." Jack leaned down and kissed me, deep and tender. I met his kiss with one of my own, smiling back at him, feeling proud. I was completely out of breath when we parted and just rested my forehead against his for a moment. Mark chuckled behind us. Jack swallowed and looked up at him. "Sorry Mark. Tha lass just took my breath away completely there. And scrambled my brain a bit more than usual." Jack smiled at me and pressed another, very gentle kiss onto my lips, then moved to lay down with us both, wrapping his arms around both of us ad he curled up under my baby belly, helping support the weight and getting close in the same movement. I moved the blankets around enough to let him join us under them, if he wanted, and Mark wrapped his good arm under Jack's side as well, gently grabbing Jack's shoulder as he got settled. I smiled happily once Jack stopped moving, wrapping my arms around the guys, one around each of them, pulling them in closer to me as best I could. Jack grinned a little bigger and brighter, looking truly happy and relaxed now. 

Mark leaned over and kissed Jack on the cheek. "Thanks for joining us, Jack. We missed you, even if you weren't gone long. I just have one question for the two of you, now. What exactly did you say to Jack, baby? All I know was it made him really happy, the same way him calling you his wife makes you happy."

I smiled over at Mark, somewhat sleepily. "Good guess, sweetheart. I called him my charming husband. I thought it seemed appropriate." I yawned, a small yawn, trying not to yawn right in either of the guys faces, and closed my eyes again. "Mmm, I'm so warm and relaxed now, I could go right back to sleep. I don't want too, or think I need to, particularly, but you two definitely have me feeling all relaxed again. You guys even managed to move the babies down enough I'm not feeling so sick anymore, like I was just a few minutes ago. Thank you."

Mark blinked at me, then very gently rubbed a hand over my stomach with gentle, almost tentative fingers. "Babe? [Y/N]? Why didn't you mention the babies were crowding your stomach to us sooner? We really don't mind helping you, if we can. Playing with them, keeping them calm, and moving them so you feel better is nice and relaxes us too, you know that. You have too tell us when something isn't right with you, not try to soldier on and hope for the best right now. It's important, for the babies' sakes and yours too, sweetheart. We can't help unless you tell us."

I murmured a sound, barely awake at this point, possibly of agreement but more probably just acknowledging he had said something. "Didn't think it was important... I'm okay now. Jus' sleepy. Shh." I curled my head down onto the shoulders of both guys and fell sound asleep again. I felt Jack gently start rubbing my back as I slept and heard him humming to the babies, soothing them, but it didn't wake up at all me, only adding to the soporific effect on my brain at the moment, and registering as thoughtful and wonderful in my sleeping state. I could still feel Mark rubbing my belly carefully too, taking care to make sure the babies stayed shifted down, away from my stomach and lungs, letting me breathe easier and clearing away the last traces of nausea as I slept lightly in their arms, feeling incredibly safe, loved, and cared for. I didn't sleep for very long, much to both the guys disappointment, only about twenty minutes or so, just a quick catnap, but I awoke feeling energized, refreshed, and so much better then I had in a long time. I immediately pulled each of them into a kiss, full of love and emotion when I opened my eyes. "Morning, again, guys. Mmm. You two look even more irresistible then usual right now and I feel awesome. Thank you for taking care of me while I took a quick nap again. I feel like that nap just recharged all my batteries completely." I smiled super brightly at them both.

Jack blinked at me, then smiled back. "Wow, love. Ye look a lot better. That was some kiss, too. I'm glad ta hear ye feel better. Are ye feeling hungry now, I hope, or are tha babbies still making ye feel off food?"

I shook my head softly. "Nope, I'm definitely hungry again, probably more than yesterday. I should probably eat something right away, if you don't mind bringing me some food, before whatever you're cooking is done. I don't care what. Toast, fruit, a yogurt, leftovers, whatever."

Jack grinned at me and nodded. "Wonderful, love. I'll be right back with some drinks for all of us and food for ye. Mark? Do ye want some food too? I'm making that casserole I mentioned before and it might be a while yet. I can make ye some toast if ye want, or bring ye some yogurt or fruit while we snuggle some more and start watching tha baby video."

Mark blinked and nodded, looking thoughtful. "A banana or some yogurt would be perfect for me, Jack. And I'll take a coffee to drink."

Jack nodded. "Ye got it, Mark. Love? Do ye want tea, milk, or juice?"

I sighed as he started to get up, letting him go. "Tea would be amazing. I think I'd like a cup of Irish Breakfast, sweet, with milk." 

Jack grinned at me and I raised an eyebrow at him, questioningly. "Love, ye drink far more tea than most of tha actual Irish people I know, even though, as a whole, Ireland is known for drinking a lot of tea. In fact, we are tha third largest per person consumer of tea in tha world, following Turkey and Azerbaijan, which only just barely beat out Ireland. I think if ye were factored in though, ye'd skew tha results, all by yerself." Jack bent down and kissed me gently and smiled. "I was looking up facts about tea for a video, and ran across that one. It stuck with me."

I grinned at him. "Mm. Well, I do love my tea, Seán. And we do know I have some Irish heritage, so maybe that's partly to blame." I sighed. "I don't really know how much. I just know what I like, which is a nice, strong, hot cup of tea, with a bit of milk, and some sweetening today." I smiled at Jack again. "Maybe I should send off for one of those DNA kits and find out exactly what my genetic makeup is, instead of just saying I know I have a bunch of different things, and I know I have some Irish in there. Not that it really matters that much to me, in the long run, other than being able to tell the kids someday a little more about where they come from, without going into stuff about Dad and his side of the family. As far as I'm concerned, they all died. It's just Mom's side, Eddie, and Darrell. It's easier that way." I shivered a little and looked down, fighting back memories of abuse.

Mark hugged me closer and gently kissed my cheek. "Shh, it's okay baby, we understand. You don't have to ever talk about, or to, that side of your family. If, someday, the girls bring it up, Jack and I can handle those questions for you. We'll just answer them with what we've heard you say over time, and that your Dad's side of the family were not good people. Same thing if, and when these new babies ask questions. We don't mind keeping you safe. Jack and I both know how much even hearing the mention of your Dad can trigger you. Just relax and stay calm, okay? We can handle this, I swear. And as for the DNA test, that sounds like a good idea. You never know what surprises might be hidden in your family tree until you explore it a bit more. Maybe I should do one too. We could order two of the kits and send them off together." Mark smiled and rubbed his good hand along my shoulder, gently trying to get some of the tension to release from my frame. I sighed and let it go as much as I could, earning myself a smile from him and another sweet kiss. Jack leaned down and kissed me as well, then headed into the kitchen.

Mark hummed softly as he rubbed my shoulder trying to get me relaxed again. After a few minutes, I just smiled at him and shook my head. "Mark, sweetie, I know that has to hurt your ribs and injured arm. Please don't keep pushing yourself. I'm okay. I'd rather just cuddle here with you then have you hurt yourself trying to make me more comfortable when I'm already in a good position in your arms." I pressed a gentle kiss onto his cheek. "I love you too much to see you hurting baby, especially if it's something I can help you prevent or over something about me. You need to rest easy too. I know you're doing better than you were a month ago, but you still need to let your body heal up and stop pushing so hard all the time or you are going to end up straining something, or even undoing the healing you've already done and be stuck in those casts for longer." I stroked a hand down his cheek as Mark blushed and buried his head in my neck, trying to hide in my hair. "I care about you so much, I can't stand the thought of you being as unhappy as I know it would make you to have that happen. You'll be stuck the wheelchair a lot longer too, if you keep overdoing things. You need this restful weekend every bit as much as I do, Markimoo. You're just not as good as I am at admitting when you need a break."

Mark protested. "Hey! I know when I need breaks. You're the one who has nine babies draining the resources from their body right now."

I nodded. "Yes, I do. And I have a lot of people watching out for me because of it. You and Jack are right there, at the front of the line, which is where you both belong, don't misunderstand me, but with all the other things going on right now, both of you also have a LOT of extra stress. It's not fair to expect the two of you to do everything for me, or even to ask you to, because it would mean you would have to neglect yourselves. That's part of why I keep insisting I can do some things for myself, or that one of our friends can help too. I'm honestly afraid you guys are just going to collapse under the strain before long. So either you guys start letting me do more things on my own, or you guys better start asking our friends and family to step in and help us more. You both know I'll just start doing things on my own, or asking people to do things for me, without asking the two of you first, if you guys don't. Then I'll feel guilty and things will just get messy all around. So I'm asking you nicely now. Talk to Jack about it too. I know you have been talking to him, when I'm napping, about ways to help me relax more, or things to do to make sure everything is running smoothly."

Mark blushed again and looked at me. "You never miss anything, do you baby?" I shook my head, smiling softly. Mark smiled back and kissed me again, then rested his head against mine, forehead to forehead. "Mmm, it's no wonder we fell so hard for you, is it? You see and hear everything and still love us, despite it all."

I chuckled. "Mark, baby, I love you BECAUSE of all of it. Or nearly all of it. Occasionally, one of you manages to irritate me a little, but I'm a pretty forgiving soul."

Mark shivered and nodded. "Yes, you are. Way more than I deserve, for sure." 

I could feel Mark's whole body tense up as he mental beat himself up over something, probably the day he made me so angry, just before my birthday. I looked into his face, then drew his face up with both my hands, forcing him to look into my eyes. Mark shifted uncomfortably, trying desperately to look away. "Mark, stop it. Stop beating yourself up. I'm not sure exactly what you're thinking, which time it's about, but I think I have a pretty good idea. It's not healthy, for you, for me, for Seán, or for the babies. Think about it. Your mental health effects all of us. We need you, strong, healthy, happy, and safe, to help me bring these little ones into the world. I can't do it without you and Seán. Please don't make me try." I didn't realize I had tears silently trickling down my cheeks until Mark nodded and reached up to wipe then away, pulling my forehead down to kiss. 

"Baby... I never meant to do that to you or Jack. I would never do that on purpose. God, you both mean the world to me. I never want to hurt you, either of you, or the girls, even by accident." Mark sniffled and wiped his own eyes as a few stray tears leaked out. I snuggled closer to him. "I can't even blame hormones, like you can. I was just thinking about how if I hadn't been such a jerk to you at Ken's party, none of this would have happened. My accident, I mean. I'd be healthy, and you wouldn't have to worry so much about how stressed Jack and I are, and keeping us healthy."

I looked at him and held a finger up to his lips, silencing him suddenly. "Hush. That's not true on several levels, Mark. First, you still might have gotten hurt. Second, I'd still be worrying about your health and stress levels, even if neither of you had gotten hurt or sick. I always worry about that, Markimoo, my love. I love you both, some much more than I can say, so I worry about that all the time. Just like I worry about the girls health, and the health of our friends and extended family to a little bit lesser degree. And third, you beating yourself up over the past helps no one. So stop it. Yes, you should have behaved better. We addressed it. I got mad at the time. Then I got over it. You apologized. That's the end of it. You need to get over it now too. For my sake, if not for your own."

Mark looked surprised. "What do you mean, sweetheart? Why for your sake?"

I sighed. "When I lose my temper like that, I always feel like it unleashes something ugly in me, something far to close to..." I stopped and looked away, now unable to meet his eyes, shivering, not from cold, but from emotions, afraid to say the innermost fears and demons that were plaguing me. Mark gently squeezed my shoulder, giving me very gentle encouragement. I looked him in the eye, feeling haunted, and swallowed, trying again. "It feels too close to what Dad was like for me to be comfortable. I'm scared of what I'll do, or that I might say something horrendous, while I'm angry, that I don't mean or can't take back and truly hurt someone I care about." I shivered and closed my eyes, unable to stay in control any other way, afraid of what I'd see in Mark's eyes. 

Two sets of arms drew me into tight, but comforting, hugs almost immediately. Jack had come back into the room and overhead my confession, apparently. "Love, I suspected that might be tha case for ye, but ta hear ye admit it just proves ye are nothing like him. Ye care, so deeply it hurts ye just thinking someone, someday, _MIGHT_ get hurt. Mark and I know that, and we know ye have a temper. Ye are very careful about what ye say and do when ye do get angry. I can't imagine ye could hurt someone, even accidentally, when ye got angry, and ye just don't have it in ye ta hurt someone on purpose. Now, my sweet wife, I have yer tea and some toast. It's on tha table."

I sniffled and snuggled into Jack's chest, tears sliding down my face now, to be absorbed in his shirt, but Jack didn't seem to care. He just kept holding me close, rubbing my back and smiling at me. Mark shook his head at me. "Babe, Jack's right. You couldn't hurt anyone on purpose. But I will, absolutely, for your sake, try to let go of the past. I didn't realize what it was doing to you, by holding onto it." Mark shifted a little and kissed my cheek. "We need to work on our issues, all of us, don't we?"

I chuckled a somewhat watery chuckle and looked up from Jack's shirt, at Mark. "What do you mean, Mark? Isn't this how everyone deals with things? By constantly having meltdown after meltdown into each others arms over next to nothing?" I wiped my eyes with my hand and smiled ruefully. "Thanks for putting up with my emotional crap this morning, guys. I'm doing my best. Our babies are putting me through the wringer today, as far as my hormones go. I wish they would chill out."

Jack softly smiled and kissed me, lifting my head away from his now soggy shirt. "Tha babies or yer hormones, love?"

I made a face and looked at him. "Both. I want zen babies. Is that too much to ask for?"

Mark and jack both burst out laughing and leaned in covering my face in kisses until I smiled again. Mark chuckled. "I have no idea how you managed to say that with a straight face, babe, but it was one of the funniest things I've ever heard. I bet every pregnant woman ever has said that, at some point, unless they were worried because their baby wasn't moving around enough. These little rock stars seem to be half pin ball, half helium though, with how much they have been moving in your belly these last few days and weeks. I know it's making it hard for you to sleep for very long at a time, which is why Jack and I have been telling you you need to rest more. Especially when you finally admitted to us the other day just how bad it has really gotten. Seriously babe, sleep and rest are just as important for you and the babies as drinking and eating are. You could end up in the hospital because you're exhausted just as easily as being dehydrated at this point, and the symptoms are harder for us to watch out for."

I made a grumpy noise, crossed my arms in front of my chest, and scowled heavily, my expression dark as a thundercloud. I could see Jack biting his cheek, trying not to laugh, making my expression darken a few more degrees. Mark did snort out a laugh, seeing my petulant expression. I slouched low on the couch cushions, scooting away from the guys now, too angry to deal with them at the moment. My foul mood just brewing and rumbling around me. Jack leaned over close enough to tuck the blankets up around me, hand me my tea and toast, and press a gentle kiss into my forehead, then he sat back down beside Mark, looking amused but careful, and trying to get Mark to stop laughing at me, quietly whispering to him. He seemed to realize my foul mood wasn't just going to go away and the more they laughed the more I was getting angry. I narrowed my eyes and just stewed in my grumpiness for the moment, not really doing anything except aggressively eating my toast and drinking my tea. When I finished it, I thanked Jack, quietly, still feeling upset and out of sorts and not my usual self, so I stayed to myself on the far end of the couch, curled up under the blankets, looking stormy and glaring out at the world. Jack looked at me several times as time ticked away while he cuddled with Mark, concern on his face. Finally he spoke up. "Love? Are ye okay over there? Is there anything I can do ta make ye feel better?"

I sighed. "I'm just feeling grouchy, out of sorts, and not myself right now, honestly. Normally, I can pull myself out of a mood like this, but today? I just feel all distracted, hormonal, and just generally bleah." I stuck my tongue out to emphasize my meaning. Jack nodded and sat up, then came over and wrapped me up in a hug. I tucked my head into his chest, closing my eyes. "I didn't even realize I had a headache until I just closed my eyes now. I hope I'm not getting sick again. It feels like I've been sick constantly since we found out about the babies, at the end of August, between on thing and another, and it's just wearing me out."

Jack kissed me gently, on the side on my neck, by my ear. "Shh, my lovely wife, did ye never think maybe ye have a headache, and feel all out of sorts because ye haven't been sleeping enough lately and yer body is just letting ye know that? Or that it might be because of tha lack of food? That makes anyone cranky. Ye just come snuggle with Mark and I, and get all warm and comfy. We don't mind if ye are a bit prickly this morning, or have a few moody moments. We understand. Tha babies are putting ye under so much strain and ye haven't blamed us for that, even though ye definitely could have." Jack ran a hand down my back and hummed a very quiet, soothing sound at me. I snuggled in closer to him, my mind settling down, my mood starting to clear and my hormones calming down under his gentle care. The familiar smell of him helped my hormones settle as well. My headache eased slightly as I climbed into Jack's lap and curled up, wrapped in my blanket burrito again. He smiled and stroked a hand down my hair, then continued it down my back and just left it resting on the small of my back. "Oh love, yer back's all knotted up again. No wonder ye don't feel good. Come on. Come lay down next ta Mark again. I'll rub yer back a bit while ye cuddle us. Maybe ye can nap a bit more too, while tha rest of breakfast cooks. Ye really do look like ye could use tha extra sleep. I'll turn on tha baby video too, okay?"

I nodded, not moving, and whimpered slightly when Jack stood up, lifting me in his arms, his thumb brushing a very tight knot in my back. Jack just kissed my forehead as he settled me next to Mark, who pulled me back over close to him again. "Hey there gorgeous. Come let me help you feel better and keep you warm, okay? I'm sorry I laughed at you a little while ago. I'm an idiot."

I tear leaked out of the corner of my eye as I nodded and clung to him, wrapping myself around him tightly now. Mark looked surprised, then looked up at Jack. They exchanged a silent conversation over my head, through wordless looks, while I just clung to Mark and tried not to cry. Mark gently started rubbing my back with his good hand, making me whimper softly. After a minute or two I melted into his side completely. Jack leaned forward and kissed me softly. "There's my good lass. Ye just relax. Mark's going ta rub yer back for a few more minutes while I go check on breakfast. If it's ready, I'll bring back a nice big plate of food for ye, okay, my love? Ye just concentrate on feeling better and relaxing those muscles in yer back. We can take care of everything else. Do ye want some juice with yer casserole today, love, or would ye rather have a nice big smoothie? I can make ye one with some yogurt while tha casserole cools, if ye'd prefer that."

I whimpered as Mark's fingers found the tightest part of the knot in my lower spine and worked on loosening it. "A smoothie would be wonderful, Seán, but that seems like lot of trouble. I'm okay with you just bringing me some blackberries or a banana, or even just a cup of yogurt." I looked down at my baby belly, a few tears leaking out of my eyes again. "I know I need to eat more, but it feels like all I can do right now is ask for you to bring me food, growl at you, or be a pain in the ass. I'm really sorry."

Jack immediately lifted my chin with gentle fingers, making me look into his expressive, crystal blue eyes. "No, lass, don't think like that, ever. Ye're doing amazingly well. Ye're just having a bad morning, this morning, which ye are certainly allowed a few of now and again. Ye aren't asking too much of me, at all, ever. I love helping ye, as much as ye will let me, so please tell me what I can do ta help ye." Jack pressed another kiss onto my lips, and wiped my eyes with his thumbs tenderly. "Smile, my gorgeous wife. I know it will make ye feel better. It makes me feel better ta see it. Now, do ye want blackberries, bananas, strawberries, honey, and yogurt in yer smoothie?"

I smiled as best I could, a faint smile, I knew, but it made Jack's whole face light up. "No strawberries please. But maybe some pears, if we have some. Thank you so much sweetheart. I appreciate this, more than I can say."

Jack just chuckled. "Hey, ye take care of everybody so much and have been doing so much ta make sure my VISA issues are getting straightened out, this is absolutely tha least I can do ta make it up ta ye, darlin'. Ye just cuddle away those glooms with Mark while I go get us all some food. I'll be back, quick as a wink, then we can all sit up and watch that baby video until we're just sick of it, or until Robin comes over and wants ta chat for a bit or something, yeah?"

I nodded and tucked my head back down into Mark's chest. Mark hummed softly as he kept massaging my back, a look of fierce concentration on his face now. I closed my eyes again, trying to center myself, emotionally, a little more. The quiet humming, smell of Mark, and soothing feeling of Mark's hands massing my back helped me calm down even more, helping me feel like my head was in control again. I stayed quiet, afraid to upset the balance of the moment, honestly feeling very fragile even though I didn't have any real reason too. By the time Jack came back with our food, a few minutes later, Mark had worked his way about halfway up my back, loosening the worst of the muscle knots free again. I was still tucked exactly where I had been when Jack left, my eyes closed. I missed any looks the two men exchanged, but felt the very gentle hands pulling me out of Mark's chest and and the shower of kisses both of them pressed into my face. "Hey pretty lady, foods here, along with your handsome husband. Are you ready to uncurl and face the world again?"

I whimpered softly and immediately reached for both men when they pulled me out of Mark's chest. Jack raised an eyebrow. "Love? Are ye alright? Does something hurt?"

I shook my head and just cuddled into his chest instead, murmuring softly. "Just overwhelmed today. Need you and Mark to stay close and cuddle. Please."

Jack looked down at my body, clinging to him so tightly now, and smiled again, stroking a hand gently down by back. "Shh, we've got ye, my love. Ye just snuggle in close ta us then. We'll protect ye and keep ye safe and warm today." Jack hummed out a soft noise and scooted over closer to Mark, who nodded. I sighed, a contented noise, as my brain and hormones relaxed again. Mark reached over and stroked my baby belly, very gently, helping Jack guide me into both of their laps so we could eat now that all of us were sitting up, then held me close when Jack leaned forward and picked up the tray with our food, setting it on the couch next to us so he could hand everything out more easily. I stayed quiet still, tucked in my blankets and cuddling both guys just letting everything wash over me for the moment. Jack handed Mark his food first, with a kiss. I smiled as I watched them interact, still loving the way they were so thoughtful and loving with each other as well as me, even after all this time. Jack smiled at me when he saw my expression as he handed me my smoothie a minute later. "Hey, there's my gorgeous wife's smile. I missed seeing that for a bit this morning. I hate seeing ye gloomy, sad, or out of sorts, like ye have been, even if we know ye can't help it and it's because tha hormones from tha babies are making ye feel bad. Ye're just going ta have ta let Mark and I take good care of ye for a bit, love. Please?"

I nodded and snuggled into Jack's side a little more. He smiled and kissed my forehead, very gently. Mark chuckled softly beside me and moved his good arm, so it was wrapped around my back now, pulling me tighter to him as well. "Good girl sweetheart. Just don't argue with about needing help from us and we'll do all we can to make you feel better. Now, lets get some food in your belly, snuggle together, all nice and warm, and watch that video, hmm? Does that sound good?"

I nodded and rested my head on Jack's shoulder, scooting my butt toward Mark a little. Mark chuckled again and helped me get stabilized and comfy, then kissed my shoulder and started to eat, slowly and carefully, with his injured arm. Jack handed me my food, cuddling me close, as soon as I stopped moving around, drawing me in as close to him as he could, then turning the TV on and opening the YouTube app and pulling up the videos Robin had uploaded for us of the babies. All three of us settled in quietly, snuggled together, eating, totally enrapt by the videos of our nine precious babies playing out before us. When it ended, Jack started it over, wordlessly. Mark reached up and wiped away tears a few times from his own eyes, when he got overwhelmed with emotions as we ate, but mostly we were all silent, simply absorbed in the videos, the emotions of seeing the babies, knowing for sure they were all growing safely and well, seeing nine tiny little girls and boys moving around in my belly and hearing their heartbeats and movements, even as we felt them moving around in my belly as we ate and cuddled, moving in different ways today from the video. Even after all we had experienced this pregnancy, the emotional highs and lows, and all the same things we had gone through with the girls, the feeling of awe and wonder that this video brought to the three of us floored us. None of us were prepared for the waves of emotion that ran through us as we watched, I think. Mark had to put his food down to cry for a little while, as he curled up over my belly and cooed at the babies. I sniffled a bit myself and ran a hand through his hair when he moved down there, laying over top of me, soothing him a little and drawing a small smile, despite his tears. Jack chuckled at the sight, wiping his own eyes, which were overbright and damp with suppressed tears of their own. "God. It's a good thing we didn't do this on camera. All three of us would be accused of being overly emotional and faking it for views."

Mark laughed, a watery chuckle. "Nah, my fans all know I'm a big ol' bubble blowing baby sometimes, especially when I get all sentimental about things."

I ran my hand gently through his hair and chuckled. "Yeah, that's true Mark. And Seán, sweetie, your fans know you react genuinely too, that you don't fake your reactions. Sometimes you get choked up and cry on camera, if something gets to you too. Generally speaking, the fans would freak out more about me reacting this way. They are used to seeing me being a lot more stoic, especially on camera. I mean, I think some of them are going to understand, because of my hormones from the pregnancy, I only have so much I can control here, but I think they would still all worry if they saw me like I am today." I bit my lip and shook my head sadly. "I still want to record the girls reactions to the news about the babies, but maybe I'll just be in the video a little less, or it will be a shorter video. We'll have to see how I'm feeling then."

Jack nodded and kissed me again. rubbing a free spot on my belly. "Yep. For now, ye should finish yer breakfast and try ta get a bit more sleep, if ye can. Mark and I will watch tha video a bit more, but ye look exhausted, **_mo bhean chéile_**. Beautiful as ever, but very, very tired."

I smiled and closed my eyes, nodding. Jack hummed softly, taking my empty plate from me and handing me my smoothie instead. I finished it quickly and handed the empty glass to him, then simply curled back up against him and fell asleep, dozing lightly in both men's arms. By the time I woke back up, Mark was leaned over me, talking to the babies softly and Jack had lifted me up at some point, settling me in his lap, My head was on his shoulder now as he flicked through social media on his phone, one handed, the other resting on my baby bump, a contented smile on his face. I yawned and stretched carefully, making sure not to displace either of the guys. Both of them immediately smiled at me. Mark pulled me down for a kiss. "Hey beautiful. How are you feeling now? Did that nap help you feel any more rested or help your emotions settle any?"

I sat back up and cuddled into Jack's side again, reclaiming my previous spot. "Mm, I think so. Actually, I feel pretty calm right now and not nearly so worn out and exhausted. I'm still a bit achy, but it's not too bad, and just staying still helps with that anyway. What are you two up to?"

Mark smiled at me a little brighter. "We were just relaxing and I was playing with the babies. Your handsome husband has been watching over both of us and working on social media, I think."

Jack grinned and leaned over, kissing both of us. "Yup. I figured I could get a little bit done while ye both relaxed here, and all of us just unwound a bit. Tha video of tha babies has been playing in tha background all morning too. Mark and I both watched it for a good long time. I'm glad ye are feeling a bit better, love. Would ye like me ta rub yer back some more, sweetheart?"

I smiled and cuddled closer, drawing the blanket up. "Mmm, if you want to, I would love a back, shoulder, or leg rub, from either of my sexy men, but neither one of you should feel like you have to. Snuggles are more than enough for me right now. You both feel so nice and warm here with me like this. And both of you have managed to get the babies to calm down and move low enough so they aren't hurting me right now or making me feel sick, which is always a big plus. I'm feeling so much better, just from that, I could cry. And I'm hungry again, but not enough to make anybody move right now."

Jack stoked my cheek gently and rested his hand there for a minute afterward. "Love, that's fair wonderful. I'll make us all some lunch in a bit, if ye tell me what ye want. In tha meantime, ye just cuddle in close with us. I think maybe we should just play some games together after we eat lunch. How does that sound ta ye both?"

Mark nodded, smiling broadly. "Amazing Jack. I think we ought to just order some takeout for lunch though. You've been cooking for us a lot lately, when your folks haven't been making the meals, and you deserve a bit of a break. Let's order some Chinese food, to be delivered. Actually, let's get enough for dinner too, so we don't have to fuss with something later. Should we text Tyler, Ethan, Kathryn, and Robin to see if they want anything too? Or Felix and Marzia to see if they want to join us for dinner, with the girls, and find out what they want at the same time?"

I nodded, yawning and stretching a little. "Sure Mark, that sounds fine to me. Just remember, Seán still has a salt restriction. So we have to remember to order get the food with low sodium sauce." 

Jack blushed. "Thanks for looking out for me, sweetheart. I would have reminded whoever called tha food in." I raised an eyebrow at him. Jack blushed a little brighter. "Well, alright, I _probably_ would have mentioned it. If I remembered before we hung up from tha call."

I kissed him gently on the cheek. "I know you, Seán. You don't mean to take risks with your health, but you do sometimes. Those health restrictions you're on are there for a reason, love. They are you keep you safe until your heart and blood pressure are completely back to normal. Now is not the time to be taking extra risks." I moved my hand, gently pulling one of his down over the babies, smiling up into his face. "We need you to be careful and safe, please. All of us."

Jack swallowed and looked down at his hand, resting on my baby belly. I could see the emotion in his eyes. I caught Mark, from the corner of my eye, shifting closer to me now too, wrapping himself around me a little more protectively. Jack sighed and looked back up, catching both our eyes. "Ye're right, I know. I wasn't really arguing anyway. But now ye made me feel guilty." 

I stroked his cheek gently with my other hand. "That wasn't my intention, Seán. I'm just worried about you. Mark too, for that matter. Both of you are so busy looking out for me and the babies I feel like you are forgetting to look after yourselves. You both aren't all that good about it, so I'm going to be pushing you both on that front. Your health is just as important as mine is and you don't have nearly as many people hounding you right now to keep after you."

Jack swallowed and nodded, still blushing a little. "Yer right love, we aren't all that good about our own health sometimes. But ye aren't either, which is why everyone is so worried for ye. Having nine babies is a huge deal, and we know ye know that, and are taking good care of yerself, but we still worry for ye all tha same."

I smiled up into his face, softly, my eyes practically glowing with love. "Of course you do, Seán. You love me. I'd be worried if you weren't concerned about me." I leaned up and kissed him, a gentle, tender kiss, full of emotion. " _ **Baineann mo chroí leat féin agus Mark go deo, Seán, mo fhear céile dathúil.**_ You and Mark mean the world to me, and help me so, so much everyday, I can't even explain everything you do. I can't bear to think of life without either one of you in my life anymore, for any reason. Please don't make me need to. We just got married. I really don't want to be a widow."

Jack leaned forward again and hugged me tight, closing his eyes. "Love..." He pressed a kiss onto my lips then sighed. "I would never do that ta ye on purpose, sweetheart. Especially not now, with tha babies, on tha way, and tha other stress and strains ye are under. Besides, I want ta be around for a long time still. Ye mean every bit as much ta me as I do ta ye. God, I never thought, a few years ago, I'd be this happy, or have found people who I would love like this. I'm sorry ta make ye worry."

Mark hugged us both, smiling. "Hey, neither one of you is totally wrong here. We all look out for each other. That's part of how we show we love each other guys. Now, both of you should just relax and cuddle with me. I have no idea what you said, babe, but it sounded super sexy, and I'm pretty sure I heard both our names."

I smiled at Mark, turning my head to look at him. "Mhm. You did indeed. I told him,' My heart belongs to you and Mark forever, Seán, my handsome husband' in Gaelic. That's the exact translation." 

Mark's expression brightened and melted at the same time, a slight blush rising to tint his cheek just faintly pink. He smiled a bit wider and leaned in closer, kissing me. "Well, I'm glad I asked what you said then. That was definitely worth finding out. My god, it sounded so sexy, the way you said it in Irish, and in English it just melts my heart."

Jack grinned and nodded. "I know. She keeps doing tha same thing ta me. I understand what she means when she says those things too, so it's like a sucker punch sometimes, of sheer sexiness and emotions. Love, ye have no idea how amazing ye sound when ye talk that way, or how much it means ta me ta hear ye speaking Gaelic. I know it's yer heritage too, but it just seems somehow more personal and more connected ta me when ye say things ta me like that. It makes my heart flutter every damn time."

I grinned at him and deepened my voice. "I glad you like it, Seán. I like making my husband happy. You make me very happy too and take such good care of me, all the time, not just when I'm pregnant. I love you." 

Jack just snuggled in closer and stole a kiss, then answered me in a deep voice of his own. "Mmm. I love ye too, wife." He looked at Mark, the same look of love he had for me still brightly shining out. "Ye too Mark. Ye make both of us very happy, ye know. We haven't forgotten ye in all this. Now come cuddle with us."

Mark blushed deeper and grinned. "You two are just so adorable and so damn sexy today. What am I going to do with you both? You're making me melt into a puddle of disgusting sap, all over both of you." He shook his head, mock disgust on his face. 

I grinned at him and pulled his face over for a kiss. "Accept your fate, Mark. You're destined to be a gooey, marshmellowy teddy bear, melted in with us. Just like Seán is meant to be here all melted in too. None of us are supposed to be separate anymore. We're so much better together." I kissed the tip of his nose, sweetly as I let his face go again and sighed happily. "The fans all certainly agree with me. God, I can't believe how on board they are with keeping us together, thank heavens. They have been drumming up a huge internet campaign already, even though I just put the word out on Twitter and social media Friday at lunchtime to start the pressure and support letters. Jesus. I've already seen forty or fifty huge, fully filled out, petitions being circulated. One of them had close to two million signatures already." I shook my head gently.

Jack blinked, clearly surprised. Mark's jaw dropped slightly. I giggled. Jack leaned forward and looked at me closer. "What?! When did ye tweet anything out? And when did ye see this?"

I smiled again and stroked Jack's cheek, trying to get him to calm down a little. "Hey, I'm still on social media a lot, even when I'm resting, loverboy. I tweeted all our fanbases Friday, right after we got out of the meeting with legal, on the way from Vicki's office to mine. I put out a more detailed Tumblr post about things on my page later on in the afternoon Friday, after we got home, and the fans have been using the tags I gave them, or sending me links to everything, so I can keep tabs on all of it a little at least, and see what efforts are being made on our behalves. The numbers really started jumping after the ultrasound video went up and people saw the ninth baby too. Our communities are all really worried about me, the babies, and both of you too. They want to make sure we can stay together but they also want to make sure all of us are staying safe and as stress-free as we can, because of the babies. I've been getting a lot of very sweet messages from people about just that. People are telling me to make sure all of us are resting and relaxing right now, and to take some time off if we need it. They don't mind waiting for new content, especially since they know why they might have to wait." I smiled and rubbed a spot on my stomach, looking down for a minute, then back up at Jack. "We've even had a few politicians start offering to step in and help if we end up needing it, after they saw the video and the media storm that's rising out of all this. A few of them are following us now."

Jack and Mark both smiled and hugged me. "That's amazing sweetheart. The fans are great. I mean, I always knew that, but to hear them saying those things, supporting all of us this way..."

Jack nodded, tears shining in his eyes, threatening to fall, but he was fighting them back. "Jaysus. We're so, so lucky with all this. Everything is working out so well, it's almost scary. I'm afraid ta breathe, for fear of jinxing things now."

I hugged him closer in my arms. "Seán, we've had a lot of ups and downs lately. Things have hardly been smooth sailing. I think we'll be okay, but we have to stay positive. That's one of the things your community is hash tagging heavily again. Remember your Positive Mental Attitude tags? They are circulating them as a battle cry again and using them to rally the fandom and bring everyone back together to help keep you here. I've been seeing a lot more things reminding us to keep a positive mental attitude, despite all the chaos and gloom being flung our way, if we can, then I have in a very long time. Probably more now then anytime since you first started that tag."

Jack smiled again. "That was a good tag. I think it has really helped a load of people. It helped me stay positive too and kept tha fans focused on helping each other a lot, more than I expected. It made me really happy ta see."

I smiled. "Yeah. The fans are really good about being good to each other most of the time, in all three of our communities. We have a very supportive community, across all our channels, and they support and love each other almost as much as they support and love us. It makes my job of policing them easier." I chuckled a little. "Actually, they tend to police themselves a lot more than I have to, most of the time. By the time I get to the troublemakers, the rest of the community has already said something or addressed the problem, at least to some degree, about ninety percent of the time. If they haven't, it's usually because I spot something right as it's being said or posted and nip it in the bud. I rarely have to do more than say anything once to someone to stop the problem, but I have banned a few people from the channels, or asked people to remove things from various places online that were completely inappropriate. We've only ever had two people argue about that though with me and when I told them I would be getting lawyers involved if the things they posted weren't removed, the posts were immediately taken down and apologies issued. They had reposted some of your videos on porn websites, with deceptive titles to get people to click them, as though they were actual sex tapes. I mentioned they didn't have the right to post those videos since they didn't own them, in full or even in part."

Jack and Mark exchanged looks. "What were doing on porn websites, babe? And why were you looking up our names?"

I laughed. "I wasn't. A fan sent me the links to the videos, telling me someone had reposted them there, warning me where it lead, so I did a little more digging. Ever since then, every few months, I tend to go check the major porn sites, just to double check, searching all three of our names, or at least our YouTube handles and descriptions. Jesus, it's not like I've never watched porn before you guys. All three of us have, together even. Yeah, most of it doesn't really do much for me, but that doesn't mean I have a problem with it. You don't have to try to protect me from things like that. I'm a big girl." I grinned and looked at my belly ruefully. "Getting bigger all the time lately, thanks to these little beans." I rubbed the babies gently, drawing out smiles from the guys.

Mark and Jack both chuckled softly, appreciating my wry humor. Jack kissed me again, on the cheek. "We never knew ye did that for us, love. We never knew it was a problem. Ye could have mentioned it ta us."

I just smiled at Jack and shook my head gently. "I took care of it. I didn't need to bring you guys into things. Besides, I figured this way if something did come up from it, I could always have you address the fans with it in a video if you needed to then. I keep the fans under control pretty well, without you guys needing to intervene most of the time, and I relay the messages you need to see and hear when you need them. The fans all know that, and honestly, most of them are happier to have me involved this way than they were without me because you guys interact with a lot more comments this way and get a lot more of the messages you should be seeing and a lot less of the bot spam and general crap is being sent your way. The fans all know I spend a lot of my time making sure everything runs smoothly, for everybody, both on our socials, our channels, and here at home, and I see a lot of comments about that too. That's why they trend the hashtag mommypants at me so often, especially when I start having to enforce the communities, or am actively patrolling the comments on the channels more than usual and they all start noticing. I start seeing either a bunch of comment with #mommypants or #mommaswatching. It's kind of funny really. I think the girls might agree with their assessment of my watchfulness. What do you guys think?"

Mark grinned at me. "I'm glad it amused you baby. You do an amazing job keeping everybody in line and on their toes. Thank you. Even if you should just be resting and working on growing those nine little jumping beans in your womb right now. They are sucking an awfully lot of energy and power from you and I don't want you to overdo it."

Jack smiled and rubbed my belly, one hand splayed gently and protectively over the babies, who were still being relatively quiet compared to how active they had been for the last few days and weeks. "Mark's right love. Ye need ta ease back a bit more. If ye want ta focus on just YouTube and social media stuff, I guess we won't mind, but even that ye should be limiting a bit. Ye do too much and ye need ta take some time off ta just be pregnant and grow tha babies, be healthy, and rest. If Mark and I have ta take a short hiatus too, we will, so we can take care of ye and tha girls more, and make sure we stay healthy too. Our channels can survive a temporary break until tha babies get here and we know everyone is safe and healthy. Or maybe we could switch things so we only put out a few videos a week, with our new editors helping ta record and do tha editing for us. That is why we are hiring them in tha first place. I know Adam can help get Robin up ta speed right quick and if ye want ta focus on just recording with Mark and me, or just filming with us and doing tha baby bump updates and family channel stuff then handing all yer videos over ta him ta edit. Ye know he won't mind in tha least. Robin should be up ta speed in no time and even if he isn't I can help him get tha videos edited for tha first week he's here, or so. Mark has Kathryn and Ethan both ta help him, and ye said we would have Gary here too right, at least for a little while?"

I smiled and shifted a little, getting more comfortable and easing some of the aches I was starting to feel again. "Yep. Vicki already cleared his schedule. Adam is officially released from the show as of yesterday, except for emergencies, in which case he'll be called in as a freelance editor and has the right to refuse. I emailed Vicki and explained the whole situation pretty thoroughly. She's as disgusted with the writers as Danica and I are and had no idea it was going on either. Adam is apparently going to get a pretty big severance package to make up for the whole mess, as an apology, and all the writers are going to have to go through an extensive sexual harassment training session, except a couple of the women who Adam already vouched for. Gary will be available to us for the next month or so at least. She told me candidly we could really keep him busy until at least the beginning of March without a problem right now, if we need to."

Mark kissed my shoulder and gently started rubbing my belly, getting the babies to shift down further, letting me breath easier again. I hadn't even noticed they had shifted up against my lungs and stomach again and had been making it ever more difficult to breath until the pressure was removed. I sighed and smiled closing my eyes and leaning into his touch. Jack chuckled softly and kissed my forehead, seeing my expression. "Good lass. Were tha babies making it hard ta breath again and pushing on yer stomach?" I nodded without opening my eyes, humming out a small noise. Jack rubbed a hand next to Mark's and kissed my cheek. "Oh love, I'm so sorry. Ye just lie back then and let Mark and me try ta soothe tha babies a bit and get them ta move for ye. I'll rub yer back for ye a bit later too, if ye want. Ye should try ta sleep some more, if ye can, or at least rest here and cuddle in close with us while we work on getting tha babies settled. I know ye still aren't sleeping enough, even if ye have been sleeping a bit more in tha last day or two. It takes more than a day or two ta make up for weeks of not sleeping."

I blushed faintly as I opened my eyes again and looked into his face. "I know. I should have let the two of you know sooner. I'm sorry."

Mark shook his head gently and hummed softly, his head curled down against my baby bump now. I smiled and ran my fingers through his hair, making him smile and look up at me. "Baby, we love you. Don't beat yourself up too much about things you can't change. Just relax and let us take care of you now, okay?"

I nodded. "Okay babe." Mark smiled back and pressed a kiss into my belly. Jack smiled as he watched, resting his head against the side of mine and rubbing my belly with one hand. I closed my eyes again and just let myself relax, letting my mind go still and quiet for a change as well. Jack and Mark were both quietly humming to the babies, a gentle lullaby, their voices combining and twining together in a sexy counterpoint to each other, easing my nerves and mind further. I didn't fall asleep, but I just drifted, not quite awake either, comforted, relaxed, and feeling very, very loved and cared for. After a while, I'm not sure how long, I heard Mark go quiet and a very soft snore come from him. I opened my eyes and peeked down at his body, laying across mine and smiled, then gently ruffled his hair and tucked the blankets around us again. Jack smiled at me, looking rather sleepy himself. I wrapped my arm around him and hugged him close as I settled back into place and whispered to him. "Thank you, sweetie. The babies are all calm now and not pressing up against my lungs, stomach or organs. I'm just going to keep resting and snuggling you. You should try to get a little more sleep too. You look tired." Jack nodded and closed his eyes, smiling the whole time. A minute later, I heard a faint snore from him and knew he was asleep too. I closed my eyes again and drifted off to my own peaceful slumber, smiling contentedly.

I woke up, sometime later, to see Ma and Pa smiling down at me from the back of the couch. They were both leaned over, standing behind the couch, resting their arms on the back, grinning as they watched the guys and I sleep. I blinked slowly and yawned, coming slowly awake, trying not to wake up Jack or Mark, who were both still napping on me. Ma chuckled. "Good job lass. Ye finally got them both relaxed and resting and took a bit of time ta rest yerself, I see. That's smart. How are ye feeling today? Are ye hungry?"

I smiled and held up a hand, waving it from side to side in a so-so gesture. "Meh. I'm hungry, yes, but pretty achy today and my hormones have been playing havoc with me this morning. They are way worse today then they were even the first time I was pregnant and I'm having horrible mood swings from them. Seán thinks it's because I've been having a lot of trouble sleeping lately too, even if I have spent the last two days catching up on sleep, but I know the difference between hormone related mood swings and sleep deprivation. This is definitely hormones."

Ma nodded. "I believe ye. Those wee little passengers in yer belly mean ye get loaded with more hormones then anyone could believe, and ye have a full load, what with eight of them in there."

I blinked, smiled, and shook my head. "Um, actually, Ma, Pa, we found something out the other day. Come sit down and watch the ultrasound video with me, please. We can see the babies genders and look at all of the babies in the video that way. All **nine** babies. We had a stowaway, tucked up in there that the doctor didn't see before, tucked in behind the others. All of the babies are doing really, really well. Surprisingly so. I just need to work on gaining more weight because I've been losing too much of my own body mass to keep them feed and cared for. But the doctor gave me a medicine for the pain and one to help with my muscles being pulled to much, which is helping my appetite quite a bit, actually. I started taking both pills the other day, after we saw the doctor on Friday, and I've been eating like a pig ever since."

Jack, who had woken up unnoticed while I was talking shook his head gently and kissed me. "No my love, not like a pig. Like ye been starving for a while, which is what tha doctor told ye is true. She also told ye that ye need ta gain at least five pounds by next Friday or ye'll have ta be put in tha hospital until tha babies can be safely born, and none of us want that, so ye are doing exactly tha right things." 

I blushed. "I didn't mean to wake you up, Seán. I'm sorry. I was trying to be quiet and explain about the extra baby to Ma and Pa."

Jack smiled and shook his head, then brought a hand up and stroked it down my cheek. "Love, I really don't mind in tha least. I'm not really feeling tired anymore right now anyway, and I want ta watch tha video with my parents, and ye, again. I'll turn it back on. Ye just keep still. If ye move, ye'll wake Mark up. He needs tha rest more than I do, what with his injuries that are still healing. He's so stubborn about claiming they don't hurt, but I can see they must hurt, when I look in his eyes, a lot of tha time, same as I can see tha pain in yer eyes from tha speed these little beans are growing."

I smiled and kissed Jack on the cheek. "We're both tough, Seán. And I hate to complain and bother people."

Jack smiled as he grabbed the remote for the TV as his parents came around the couch and sat down, getting comfortable on the other couch. Ma smiled over at us and nodded as she leaned into Pa when they were ready. Jack turned the video back on and kissed me back. "I know ye don't complain love. It doesn't mean ye don't feel tha pain, or that we don't know ye must have some pain that ye aren't telling us about. We worry about ye all tha same. And we all know ye're tough." Jack snuggled a little closer and hugged me. "Ye don't always have ta be as tough as ye are, at least not around Mark and me. We don't mind helping ye or seeing yer pain, from time ta time. Ye can let yer shields down with us, ye know. It's not a bother and it helps us know when and how ta help ye better, darlin'."

I swallowed and nodded, resting my head against his. "I do know that, Seán, in my head at least, and my heart. I just... I just have trouble doing that beacuse of things. Now, hush. I was too tired to watch this much earlier with you guys. Besides, you'll wake up Mark." Jack just smiled and nodded back at me kissing me softly again then settling against me comfortably. Both of us were quiet as we watch the video on the screen, quickly getting absorbed seeing the images of our babies, tiny as they were, as the doctor had moved the wand around, focusing on each one, then coming back for a more detailed look with the next, higher powered camera, and finally the three-d images. I didn't realize I was crying silently again until Jack grabbed a tissue and gently wiped my cheeks, humming out a soft noise of comfort to me. I blushed and smiled softly at him. "Thank you, Seán. These are happy and amazed tears, not sad ones. I still can't believe everybody was that healthy and growing safely in there."

Jack nodded, smiling back at me and answered me softly. "I know, love. Ye're doing so, so well. Tha babies are all perfect, all nine of them. And doctor Sara was really happy about almost everything for yer visit. That's why Mark and I are trying ta help ye focus on tha last few things ye need ta fix, which were all things ta do with yer own health, not tha babies, so ye can stay safe ta get these little ones here, happy, healthy, safe, and sound."

I nodded, swallowing a huge surge of emotions again, feeling a little overwhelmed again. "Seán, you know they could get here anytime after the next three weeks, potentially, and have a decent chance at surviving? I mean, I want to carry them as long as I can, for all our sakes, as long as we stay healthy, toward the forty week mark, but anytime after the twenty weeks is considered survivable. We're already at the seventeenth week." I looked down at my belly, the reality of things sinking in a little more. I shivered and blinked, running a disbelieving hand over my belly very gently, my fingers ghosting along the very swollen skin.

Jack felt my shiver and pulled me a little closer to him. "Shh, I've got ye, _**mo bhean chéile**_. I know that's soon, but don't ye worry. We can handle things, no matter what comes our way. I believe in ye, and in all of us together. I'm sure tha babies won't be here that early. Ye will be able ta keep them safe and healthy for longer my love, as long as ye keep resting and remember ta let us help ye and do things for ye." 

Mark shifted on me, having woken up without either of us realizing it a few minutes ago and looking at the two of us, huddled together now. "Baby, Jack is right. We can do this, the three of us, together. And you've been so strong for us, these last few months, it's incredible. I know it's scary, how much could still go wrong, and how much you want to keep everyone safe but are afraid you can't. Jack and I have the same fears and feelings all the damn time lately, but it's way worse, especially for me. I can't even take care of myself right now because of my arm, leg, ribs, and that damn concussion I'm still healing from. All of us have some pretty major health restrictions to deal with at the moment that are slowing us down." I nodded. Mark smiled and rubbed his good hand across my belly, in front of his face. "That doesn't mean, between all of us, we can't keep everybody safe and happy though, especially with all our friends and family pitching in to help. Everybody is being great about that too. So we just have to let them and try not to feel too guilty about it. Remember we do the same things and a whole lot more for all of them on a very regular basis, if it helps."

I smiled softly, relaxing once more as the tension ran back out of me slowly. "Actually, thinking about it that way does help, Mark. Thank you."

Mark nodded and pressed a gentle kiss into my belly now too, feeling the babies moving around a little under where he was laying, but not being overly active at the moment. His smile never faltered and he just continued to look up at Jack and me, and cuddle with us both. "I'm too comfy to move, and it looks like the two of you are too. What time is it getting to be? Do we need to do anything soon or can we just stay here for a while longer, be comfortable, and happy?"

Jack grinned down at him. "Well, Mark, it's about quarter to one so we can just stay here until Robin, Tyler, Ethan, or Kathryn come looking for us unless we need ta get up and get some food or go ta tha bathroom or something. I'm all for just snuggling together and relaxing like this today anyway. Felix and Marzia will be over sometime later, but not until later this afternoon from what they said before, I think. Other than that, we planned today ta be all about resting and recovering from last week anyway. Same with tomorrow. Then _maybe_ we can start training tha new editors some, if we don't just have our current editing team do it for us."

Ma and Pa grinned, looking over at us. "Ye are all finally admitting ye need a break?"

I smiled back at them. "Well, in a matter of speaking. I've been saying that since we went to PAX, but it's finally gotten to the point where I'm just saying we're taking a small break, even if it's just for a few days, so we don't actually have a breakdown. All three of us are beyond exhausted, mentally, and just need a couple of days to rest and let our mental batteries recharge. I have a major case of pregnancy brain lately and I suspect at least half of it is because I've been overworking so much, trying to keep everything running smoothly on all fronts and still balance things instead of just letting some slide or delegating. All the plans for Jack's VISA are either underway or in place now and have been moved on, my dual citizenship is granted, as are the girls, and Mark's is underway, Jack's will be started soon too, if they didn't start the paperwork on Friday afternoon, all our work stuff is taken care of for a little while, we have more than enough in our video buffers for all of us to take a short break from filming to just relax for about a week, and we have been granted a vacation from the show, probably until next year unless something really unexpected comes up that they need us to come in for pops up. All that means we can all take a little time to just breathe and relax without stressing. We have time to focus on getting healthy, making sure the babies get here safely, and we are all healed up before we dive back into an big projects. Hopefully we'll even have a little time to recover and rest after the babies do get here so we aren't completely exhausted zombies all the time for months afterward, but I know that probably won't be the case."

Ma came over and kissed my forehead gently. "Ye can dream, lass. Now, I'm going ta go make some lunch for ye lot. What would ye like today? Do any of ye have any requests?"

I smiled up at her. "Um, I'd like a chocolate milkshake along with whatever else you make, please. Actually, I'm really hungry, again. I swear, I've been eating so damn much the last couple of days, I'm worse than a teenage boy."

Ma chuckled. "But ye need ta be eating more, lass. Ye were starting ta look scarily thin, around where tha babies were. Besides, tha babies need tha food. Ye have a lot of other people ta feed in there right now. I definitely don't mind feeding ye up. I'll make ye up a tray and bring it out in a minute. Be right back. Jack, baby, what do ye want? Mark? Any requests?"

Both men shook their heads. Ma smiled as she headed into the kitchen. A minute later she was back with an enormous milkshake for me, handing it to Jack with a straw. He grinned as he helped get me propped up a bit more then held it up for me to drink, then set it down on the table after I drank all I wanted for the moment. Afterwards we all settled back again, resting so we could watch the screen again. Mark and Jack both leaned into me, scooting around so they were more comfortable, hands going to my belly, rubbing gentle patterns that helped soothe the babies without thinking about it and it made me smile. Mark slid up a little too, so he was next to us, instead of laying mostly in my lap, and I wrapped one arm around each of the guys, holding them as close as I could while we just watched the images on screen, silently awed by the pictures of our developing babies, no matter how many times we had already seen them. Pa was still watch the video too, mostly, but sneaking glances at us too, from the corner of his eye, from what I noticed when I could tear my own eyes away from the screen. His smile was huge and he looked truly happy, something of a rarity, especially for him. Pa often had a look, deep in his eyes of hidden sadness and pain that he bore at an almost soul deep level. Jack had told me several times I was one of the few people he knew who could reliably ease that pain from his eyes, without trying, but I often wondered to myself what had put it there for him and who he had lost along the way or what he had seen that had given him such a haunted, almost hunted, look. No one in the family talked about it, especially Pa, but then again, no one exactly talked about my past either within his family, although I know they all wondered at times, and I certainly had enough moments when I had equally haunted or pained looks in my own eyes that I understood enough not to press matters. I sincerely hoped his own past was a lot less traumatic then mine had been, for his own sake. As I was thinking this, Pa looked over at me and winked. "Whatever ye're thinking lass, it can wait a bit. Ye just relax today."

I smiled and looked back up at him. "Oh, I know. Actually, it wasn't really anything I was particularly going to pursue anyway, just a passing thought, and a hope, Pa. But that's all I'm going to say about it. Now, what do you think about the video? You've been awfully quiet over there while you watched. The guys and I could, of course, just watch this all week on loop and not be sick of it, but I think everyone else might be, eventually at least."

Pa grinned back at me. "It's amazing. Ye really are doing well, ta have all of those babbies looking this healthy, and be nearly halfway done with tha pregnancy, lass. And ta have an extra little passenger in there ye didn't even know about? Jaysus. That would have thrown Ma and me for a loop, ta say tha least, but ye three just seem so calm about it."

I laughed. "Um, you didn't see us right after we found out. I felt like I had been stunned. I mean that literally. I could barely breathe. My thoughts all ground to a total stop. It took me nearly the entire rest of the sonogram to shake myself out of it, or at least until we switched over to the three-d image. It looked different enough to rattle something loose in my brain and help me shake out of the state I was in." I shook my head ruefully. "Eddie was there with us, and he was a bit worried because I seemed so out of it until then too. Honestly, I felt like my whole brain had been stuffed with cotton and I just couldn't think at all, I was so shocked."

Mark and Jack both looked at me. Jack spoke up first, his hand stilling on my belly. "We weren't sure how ta react either, love. Ye were so quiet and still, we were a little afraid ye were going ta have a panic attack. Then ye just looked scared and stunned for tha longest time. Neither of us knew what ta do ta help ye or how ta process tha fact that there was ANOTHER baby." Jack reached a hand up and ran it through his hair, his nerves clearly worked up. He swallowed convulsively. "We were so relieved when ye finally seemed ta come back ta yerself, even if we still didn't know what ta think about tha baby news. Jaysus."

I sighed. "Calm down, sweetheart. You need to remember to stay calm, so your blood pressure and heart rate doesn't spike up until the doctor gives you the all clear, remember? I was just really, really surprised, like I said. I didn't even notice how the two of you were reacting, if I'm completely honest. I'm sorry." I leaned forward and pressed a kiss into Jack's cheek. He closed his eyes and sighed melting into me. I pressed another kiss onto his forehead, then turned and kissed Mark, on the tip of his nose, making him chuckle softly and contentedly. Both men now closed their eyes and just relaxed into me again, letting the tension go from their bodies. I smiled, happy to feel them unwinding like this against me. 

Pa laughed, amused by my expression. "Lass, ye look like tha cat who got tha cream and both tha boys look like limp noodles in yer arms now. What did ye do ta them? All I saw was ye placed sweet kisses on their faces. That's hardly enough ta make them go all slack like that, I think, unless ye have some magic trick ye did that I don't know about. I'm almost afraid ta ask what ye really did ta them."

I giggled. "All I did was what you saw, but it was enough. I made then relax again, finally. Both of them. That's why I grinned like that. I love it when they get all relaxed and the tension leaves them like this. They both get all cuddly, but more importantly, both of them can heal up better." Both guys blushed faintly, but they were smiling at me and neither one moved, seeing me looking so happy in their arms. I hummed out a soft noise of happiness to both of them, unconsciously voicing my approval and feelings of contentment. Both men grinned a little brighter and leaned in closer, pressing kisses into my cheeks, humming a soft response back to me, mirroring my happiness without thinking about it. 

Pa laughed. "Ye three always amuse me when ye get this comfy together. Ye stop speaking in words and just start humming at each other wordlessly and communicating ta each other with yer eyes all tha time. It's a damn good thing tha rest of us can't understand everything ye send ta each other most of tha time that way, I think, or else tha three of ye would be a load more embarrassed than ye are. Or at least ye two boys would be. Somehow I think tha lass there would find a way ta turn tha embarrassment back on tha rest of us. She's right good at that."

I grinned evilly. "Yup. I know how to make everyone squirm and I hear everything. No one is safe, unless I'm panicking or not around, and even then, don't count on it. I still have the uncanny knack for knowing a lot more then people expect."

Jack and Mark both swallowed and looked at me, nodding and looking spooked as hell. "That you do, dear. That you do. We have no idea how you do, but it scares the hell out of us anyway. It makes all our lives a little interesting at times, baby. Now, please, let's change the subject. What were you thinking about, when we were watching the video, other than the babies? What was your hope?"

I blushed faintly and looked away, biting my lip. Jack caught my eye. "Come on love. Ye can tell us. None of us are going ta be mad or judge ye. Please tell us."

I swallowed. "I..." I looked over at Pa and felt my cheeks heat up again. "I was thinking how happy you looked Pa, how the haunted, and slightly hunted look you usually have was gone from your eyes as you watched us, and the video. I let my mind wander a little after that observation and was speculating a little about why you might have that look, based on my own experiences, and hoping, for your sake, that they weren't as bad as mine. I wouldn't wish the things I've seen and been through on anyone. I know people have to survive worse, but that doesn't mean I still can't wish they didn't have those experiences."

Pa's eyes went wide and his whole body went absolutely still as he looked at me. "Lass?"

Jack was looking at me now too. "Oh _**mo bhean chéile milis**_ (my sweet wife), come here." Jack hugged me closer then before, practically merging with my side, pressing his forehead against mine as he closed his eyes and kissed me, deep, sweet, and full of emotion. 

It took my breath away and made my head swim, briefly making me dizzy as well. I don't remember closing my eyes, but when I opened them Mark was hugging us both, peppering kisses on both our faces, and wiping tears away from both our cheeks with a tissue with a small smile. Pa sighed. "Lass, I'm sorry. I never meant for it ta be a secret from ye or Mark, really. Ye're family now, and tha family knows what happened. I used ta be an alcoholic. I'm not proud of it. I did things I'm not proud of when I drank, said things, and hurt people I never should have. That's why I look haunted most of tha time, my dear. I am, but it's because of things I've done in my life, not things that were done ta me."

I shivered. "Just because you were in a situation you put yourself into doesn't mean it was a good one. A bad situation is a bad situation, no matter how you got there. I'm sorry for bringing it up. I didn't mean to poke at a painful part of your past."

Pa smiled. "Ye didn't, lass. Honestly. Ye have been so respectful about not asking questions of me when I know ye must have a million and one that are bugging ye, based on knowing ye as well as I do now. Why haven't ye ever asked before?"

Jack and Mark exchanged looks and hugged me, knowing what was coming. I swallowed. "I had a really, really hard childhood. I was badly bullied and abused by my father and grandmother. I ended up with an eating disorder and a lot of issues because of them and the bullying. I've mentioned that before." Pa nodded, going still again. "I haven't gotten into a lot of detail with most of the family, except Mark and Jack for various reasons, but it was really, really bad. Dad did a lot of things to me. Horrible things that I can't talk about easily. He broke a lot of bones, left _deep_ mental and emotional scars I still haven't and probably won't ever recover from. My grandmother was the same way, manipulating me and abusing me from the time I was about six onward, slowly tearing down any self-esteem I managed to build up over time until I felt like I was completely worthless, something they actually told me, repeatedly when they encouraged me to try to commit suicide as a teenager."

Pa swallowed. "Holy mother of God." 

None of us had noticed Ma come in the room until she made a small noise, a sob, from above us, the tray in her hands, rattling. Mark looked up at her. "Ma, are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Ma shook her head a little. "Lass, none of as had any idea... I mean, Jack and Mark told us ye had a tough childhood and not ta bring up yer Dad or grandmother, but we really had no notion. I want ta go kill those bastards now."

I smiled crookedly. "My grandmother already died. A while ago. I honestly don't even know if my Dad is still alive. I haven't talked to anyone on that side of the family in a long time. I **can't**. I... I just can't handle things like that anymore. Dad is probably my biggest panic trigger."

Jack ran a hand over my stomach, smiling softly at me. "Oh, my love, I'm so very, very proud of ye. Ye are stay so calm right now. Normally ye would be getting all anxious even talking about things this much. How do ye feel?"

I smiled and kissed Jack. "Mm. Calm. My two favorite men are cuddling me and and keeping me steady, even while we talk about my past, triggering as it is. I can feel your heartbeats and smell both of you and it's keeping my brain from spinning out at all. Honestly, my anxiety isn't even really flaring up right now with the two of you laying here with me like this. I just feel too safe, relaxed, and content."

Jack kissed me back. "That's fair wonderful, [Y/N]. Ye're doing so well. Ye just keep snuggling up inta us all safe and sound. Just remember we love ye, sweet lass."

I nodded, somehow scooting a few degrees closer. Mark chuckled. "Good girl. Now we just have to feed you too. You're being so cooperative and sweet today, especially since we know you don't feel good and you hurt today. I'm so sorry you ache and your emotions are all over the place today. Thank you for just letting us take care of you and staying here in our arms, letting us hold you and take absolute care of you all day. It makes us feel so much better when you let us do this."

Ma set the food tray down on the table behind us and hugged all three of us suddenly. I chuckled. "I told you all, we needed some down time. I was serious. I think that's part of why my emotions are so out of sorts too. But the fact that I've been so exhausted and stressed lately certainly isn't helping either. That's why I'm not going to fight either of you about getting help, especially if you both are willing to just rest with me. It's helping me stay calmer too, knowing both of you are resting up as much as you can right now too, before anything else comes our way."

Ma nodded, brushing hair off my forehead as she kissed me gently, like I was one of her own kids. "Lass, ye really do look after everyone so well. Now it's yer turn ta get looked after a bit. Just lie back with tha boys. I brought all three of ye some lunch and if ye need something more later, I'll bring it for ye then too. It does me good ta see all three of ye this restful. Jackaboy needs this too. Far more than he would ever admit, I'm sure." I nodded, looking at Jack again. Jack blushed. Ma pressed a kiss into his forehead now as well. "Ye rest too, Jack. Ye just stay there and keep yer wifey safe and and happy, in yer arms. Pa and I are right proud of ye for going ahead and marrying her tha other day, even if ye did wait ta tell us. And we understand why ye lot waited ta tell us, don't get us wrong. Ye three all need some quiet time now. That's why Pa and I stayed away last night and most of tha morning, so ye could have some alone time together. Do ye feel better for it?"

I laughed. "Yes, we definitely do. All three of us needed some time to just let our hair down together, with no one around to see. I was half afraid, after we talked to the lawyers last week, Jack was going to have a nervous breakdown if things went as badly as I feared they might."

Ma raised an eyebrow at me and sat down in the armchair next to the couch, crossing her arms. "Ye thought they would go poorly before ye went in? Why? How did things go? What's going on now? Is Jack going ta be allowed ta stay or not?"

Jack shivered and looked at me, then closed his eyes and clung to me tighter than ever. I smiled softly at him, hummed a soft note to soothe him, and rested my head against his, letting him know I was there for him, no matter what, I always would be, and things weren't going badly. His body relaxed a little, acknowledging these gestures. Mark squeezed both of us a little tighter in the hug he had us in as well, kissing Jack's head now too. Jack sighed and relaxed a even more, starting to unclench his body slowly. I looked at Ma and Pa for a minute before explaining everything as succinctly as possible to them, finally telling them about my plans I had set in motion online and what I had done to the lawyers to trap them after I had started to suspect they weren't handling the case correctly. Ma and Pa both looked angry, then amused when they heard what the solution was. Pa whistle. "Jaysus. Ye definitely fixed them. Ye not only made them lose their jobs, but they can't even get new ones in other countries after ye finished with them."

I smirked. "I keep telling people, I'm scary. I don't know why people doubt me. You mess with me and I will end you. It's going to be even worse for you if you chose to screw with someone I care about. I will cut your legs out from under you, chum the water and start a feeding frenzy, then stock the water with man eating fish. You'll be damn lucky if I just use sharks. Sharks are slow and highly survivable. I tend to prefer things with more teeth." 

Mark and Jack exchanged looks and shivered, then hugged me. "You scare the crap out of sometimes babe. I mean, we get it, but still. Holy shit."

I laughed, a little evilly. "Yeah. And this is why the fans might be a little right about my dark side. Meh. She's fun to let out every now and then." Mark grinned at me, looking me in the eye, obviously thinking about last night. I giggled. "Mark, stop. You're going to get yourself in trouble. That's not what I meant."

Mark pouted, then winked at me. "Oh, all right. You are right though. I will get myself in trouble." Mark grinned at me again. "That outfit the fans described for your dark side is definitely enough to lead to trouble of the best kind."

I laughed again. Jack grinned and nodded, kissing me, finally fully relaxed. "Indeed it is. I thought ye were going ta give both of us heart attacks all day with that, lass."

Ma raised an eyebrow. "It didn't look all that scandalous ta me. What was so bad about tha costume ye were wearing yesterday that had tha boys so worked up, lass? I thought ye looked good, if a bit demonic."

I chuckled. "Hang on a minute. You only saw the daytime version. The cloak I was wearing came off and changed the look, a LOT. The boys costumes actually tied into mine after that. We took some pictures too. Let me show you." I paused the video and grabbed my phone, streaming the pictures from my phone to the TV screen. I pulled up all the pictures I had taken during the day yesterday, of the girls, of Jack, of Mark, and of my costume, or had taken of us by family and friends and sent to our cloud, so we could go through them all. Ma and Pa settled back enjoying the pictures of Trick or Treating just as much as the guys and I. All of us picked up our nearly forgotten lunches and ate while we watched the pictures loop on a slideshow on our television. When the photos finally started to shift from the afternoon with the whole family to a few with the guys at the party, I heard Pa and Ma both gasp. I chuckled. My costume still hadn't come up yet. Mark grinned and cuddled in closer to me, kissing my shoulder, a wicked glint in his eye as he looked at me. I smiled back at him and set my plate down, running one hand through his hair. He hummed out a noise of happiness and rested his head against me. Jack took Mark's plate, pressed fast kisses into both our faces, and set his plate, and Mark's, on top of mine, on the coffee table in front of us, then grabbed my other arm and wrapped it around himself, hugging me close again. I smiled back at him and turned my attention back to the screen. The picture Suzy had taken of me last night came up, drawing gasps from everyone but me. I laughed softly. "I told you it was an adult costume. Actually, I was really proud of how it came out. I think Jack and Mark liked it too, based on their reactions to it."

Mark and Jack grinned and nodded, Jack answered for both of them. "Ye fucking know we did, love. We could barely leave ye alone during tha day, and at tha party, ye know how crazy ye were making us, I think. All our friends certainly seemed ta think we should be putting on a floor show for them."

I grinned and whispered soft as a breath in Jack's ear. "Mmm, and if you had kept grinding on me last night a few minutes more, they would have had one, whether or not I meant to give one, _**mo fhear céile gnéasúi**_. You got me a little overexcited you know, with all your grinding on me and all the sweet attention you and Mark were giving me, and the very dirty talk."

Jack turned bright red and bit his lip, blushing hard as he met my eye. I kept grinning. Mark was blushing too, having heard what I said, but I knew Ma and Pa hadn't, because they just looked confused. Mark might not have understood what I said to Sean in Irish, but he had definitely heard the rest. Both of them were embarrassed now, remembering my reaction last night and how worked up all three of us had been at the party. I could feel Mark squirming closer to me, hiding against me a little, trying to hide his blush on my shoulder, ducking his head and peeking up into my eyes. I just gave a barely audible chuckle, more of a growl of humor, especially with how Mark was curled on my chest. He blinked at me, and smiled back at me, humor in his expression too. "This is amusing you far too much, babe. I'm just glad to see you stay calm."

I nodded. "Yeah, I'm really happy and relaxed right now. You two are adorable too, even if you were a handful last night. I love you anyway, as you know. And you help me stay safe and calm, so I can put up with you being a handful every now and then. Besides, I think I managed to get you both back in line okay, after all was said and done."

Ma looked over at me, grinning. "I just bet ye did. I have some guesses at ta how ye managed that, but I have tha feeling if I say anything both boys might die of embarrassment right there in yer arms. My goodness lass, that outfit is one for tha books though. Ye looked amazing, even as pregnant as ye are. It was absolutely stunning, and very attractive on ye. No wonder tha boys are always so cuddly with ye, if ye look like that." 

I laughed again, smiling. Jack leaned over and kissed me. "Ma, ye have no idea. She just melts our brains all tha time. It's a wonder we can get anything done most of tha damn time, sexy as she is. And then she made both of us realize exactly how much we care for each other as well as her..." Jack smiled at Mark, the hand not under me reaching forward and stroking Mark's cheek. Mark smiled and nuzzled his face against the touch, closing his eyes happily, looking a bit like a cat settling in for a nap in a sunbeam as he cuddled both of us. Jack sighed happily. "I never knew I could be this happy."

Ma came over and kissed Jack on the forehead, stroked a hand down Mark's back, then rubbed a gentle hand across my belly. We all smiled without moving. "Jack, I'm so glad ye found yer people, yer proper family, outside of us. Don't get me wrong, Pa, yer brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, and I will always be yer family too, and be there for ye when ye need us, but ye always seemed ta need more room ta grow and ta get out and stretch yer wings, ta see what else tha world had ta offer, same as Maly. We knew it, from tha time ye were a youngster, yer Pa and I. We talked on it a load, trying ta figure out ways ta help ye, if we could. Ye were always so stubborn, insisting ye could do everything on yer own."

I smirked and raised an eyebrow at Jack now. "A bit set in your ways, were you? Gee, why does that sound familiar?"

Jack grinned at me again, his eyes sparkling as he suddenly started covering my face in kisses. "Hush wife. I know ye are tha same way. Or did ye mean tha girls?"

I giggled and nodded. "I meant our daughters. They can be a bit mule-headed, even if they are usually sweet. Fortunately, I know how to work around them and what works to get them to behave, even when they are being their most stubborn selves." I smiled, somewhat evilly. "No one has really seen me really dig my heels in yet about anything yet and get stubborn about things so far, except Mom and my brothers, a long time ago." I sighed.

Jack and Mark exchanged a look, then both of them raised their eyebrows. Mark looked up into my face. "Really babe? I find that hard to believe. We've seen you be stubborn plenty of times."

I snorted. "Yeah, but not as bad as I can be. God, you have no fucking idea. One time, when I was a teenager, I had a fight with my roommate in college, about a month after we started school. She had guys in and out all the time, even when I was trying to study or sleep, and was really inconsiderate, and it was starting to piss me off pretty bad, so I asked her to give me a little better warning. She flew off the handle and called me a lot of names. She had no idea about my history, so she didn't know about my triggers, so when I suddenly stopped breathing and locked up in a panic attack, she screamed. The RA came running in to try to help, but it took a while to get me calmed down. The RA had to call a couple of my friends over to come help me. Anyway, I decided to give my roommate the silent treatment for a while, which freaked her out. She was a chatterbox and SUPER social, so anyone not talking to her kind of made her melt down anyway. We weren't a very good match to start with, to be honest." Mark and Jack both chuckled softly. I sighed, remembering the rest of the story. "The slut, as I now call her, paraded guys in and out for a week, trying to 'punish' me for my panic attack and giving her the silent treatment. When I kept ignoring her and not talking, she stopped bringing guys over, loudly telling them on the phone I was creepy and she'd meet them at their places instead, so I couldn't watch, claiming I was into it. As if I was getting off on that shit. I still kept silent around her, talking to other people in the dorm normally. At the one month mark, she went to the RA about it, complaining about my behavior, saying I was making her extremely uncomfortable. That's when the RA came in and talked to me separately, and asked for the whole story. I told her everything. She talked to the girls in the rooms around us too, asking for confirmation of what I had said. What I didn't know was my roommate had been violating dorm policy. All of her guests had been smuggled in without being signed in, and had been brought in after hours, so the dorm was unaware she had overnight visitors at all, plus the policy of the hall we were in was each resident was only allowed to have guests up to three nights a week, unless BOTH roommates agreed, not six out of seven nights, and a different guys every night at that. So the slut was kicked out of the dorm and forced to moved back in with her parents, who lived about ten miles away from the campus, with a letter from the school about why she was no longer to be allowed to live in any campus housing for the remainder of her college career. Last I knew, she had dropped out completely to follow a guy she liked enough to move in with, but that was years ago. I didn't ever end up really stopping the silent treatment I started giving her."

Jack laughed softly and kissed me on the tip of the nose. "Well, love, after all these years, I think that's definitely a record for stubborn. Holy shit."

I smirked as I met his eyes, a look of amusement, mixed with love in mine. Jack's were filled with similar emotions. Love, humor, amusement, lust, and happiness were easy to read there, as well as many deeper flashes of things. Contentment settled deep in my bones and I hummed out a soft, unconscious expression of happiness and satisfaction, making Jack grin and Mark kiss my belly before he laid his head back down against it, looking for all the world like he was trying to listen to the babies now. I softly fluffed his hair, just letting the calm flow in and around us. This was truly what we needed today, more than anything. Mark reached over with his good hand and turned the video back to the sonogram video. None of us said anything as we just continued to snuggle, rest, and relax, finally recovering properly from all the craziness the past few months had been throwing our way. Robin came over around two, smiling when Pa let him in, trailing Ethan, Tyler, and Kathryn. They were holding some card games and board games, clearly hoping we would join them for a while. Ethan squealed and bounced on his toes when he saw the video on the screen, pointing to it. "Is that what I think it is? Holy crap!"

I nodded sleepily, not moving from my spot tucked into the guys. "Hm? Yeah. Robin uploaded it for us yesterday. Sorry we're not more energetic guys. We're having a sleepy, calm, rest day and just vegging out, watching the video. You guys are welcome to join us though, if you want. We'll even try to stay awake for it." I yawned and shifted a little. 

Jack whined softly. He had been almost asleep next to me. "Says ye, lass. I don't wanna wake up."

I grinned and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Aww. Come on _**mo fhear céile gnéasúi**_ , don't pout. You've had me Mark and me to yourself nearly all day. Besides, you said yourself you wanted to meet with Robin to get to know him. You can nap later, sweetheart. I'm not going anywhere without you, I promise. I'm staying right here, in your arms, all day."

Jack smiled hugely and rubbed his face into my neck. "Mmm. That's what I like ta hear, wife. I love ye."

I hugged him. "I love you too, Seán." I looked down at Mark, who was smiling at us both. "We love you too, Markimoo."

Mark chuckled. "I know sweetheart. I have a question for you though. That's the second time today I've heard you say whatever that phrase was in Irish. What does it mean?"

Jack and I grinned at each other. Jack just blushed a little, the tips of his ears going a little red. I laughed. "I called him my sexy husband." 

Mark laughed too and scooted up next so he could give both of us kisses. "I'm going to have to remember that one. I have the feeling I'm going to hear it a lot, from you. It's pretty damn accurate." Mark grinned and winked at Jack. "It's also funny how you never seem to get flustered by her saying this stuff to you in Irish until I ask what it means, babe. That wasn't even that spicy."

I giggled. "Yeah, it's not like I said anything about any of the kinks you guys have." My eyes sparkled with mischief as both guys suddenly looked at me and paled a little. I grinned at them. "Relax. I would never do that to you, either of you. You should know I'm not like that. I can keep my mouth shut."

Jack groaned. "Usually, yeah. Last night ye were oversharing a bit with Danny, Suzy, and Arin, ye devil woman. I was afraid ye were going ta say something really embarrassing any second and I was gonna have ta end my friendship with them and possibly move countries just ta not die of shame."

I laughed. "Seán! I knew what I was saying. I wasn't that bad. Honestly."

Mark raised an eyebrow at us. "Um, I think I missed that conversation. What happened?'

I giggled as Jack blushed bright as a beet. "We went over to get the drinks after Wade came over at the beginning of the party." 

Mark nodded, laughing. "God, you just about killed him, babe. Wade clearly had no idea you could be so, um..." Mark grinned at me.

I raised an eyebrow at him "Seductive? Saucy? Spicy? Evil?" Mark nodded, still grinning. I chuckled again. "He'll learn. Just like everybody else, apparently. Anyway, we went over and were talking to Arin and I mentioned the fact we had the house to ourselves and we were using that fact to our full advantage to celebrate getting married. Poor Seán was blushing his head off, then I mentioned where I was in the pregnancy, as far as hormones went and he actually tried to shut me up by putting a hand over my mouth. Ask him how that went for him." My eye twinkled brighter with suppressed laughter.

Jack groaned. "Love, ye're being a brat again. Anyway, Danny and Suzy came over and joined tha conversation about then."

I nodded, giggling softly and pressed a soft kiss into Jack's cheek. He hummed out a happy sound and closed his eyes for a few seconds, just melting into me. Ma chuckled. "Good on ye lass, for keeping Jackiboy in line last night and relaxed today. He looks loads better now then he has in ages."

I smiled brighter as I looked at him. "I don't know about that. He always looks really good to me. I don't know how he could look any better than he already does." Jack blushed and smiled, ducking his head into my side, a happy smile on his face. Our family and friends all chuckled softly. Mark patted his back with his good hand, indicating he agreed, wordlessly. I winked at him. "Well, as I was saying, we were talking to Dan, Arin, and Suzy at that point and Jack was a little flustered. Arin was actually laughing so hard he fell on the floor behind the bar at one point. Dan asked what I said, but Jack still had his hand over my mouth and refused to let me answer so I licked his hand. I had to send him off to get some food for you after that."

Mark blinked, raised and eyebrow, then blushed when he saw Jack's blush and expression. Jack was desperately trying to hide against me now, embarrassed again, hoping his parents wouldn't figure out what had happened. Mark looked into my eyes, saw my expression of unholy amusement and swore. "Dammit! You think it's hilarious that you can do this to us both don't you?"

I nodded. "Yup. Especially since I can't exactly go anywhere too far away without you guys and you both seem to think _I'm_ the one who needs a babysitter all the time. So yes, occasionally, I make you suffer a bit. But you like it." Mark went red as a tomato. I grinned bigger and leaned closer, giving him a kiss and whispering to him at the same time. "That wasn't what I was referring to, babe. But, yeah, I know you like a little pain with your pleasure too, from time to time, you kinky boy. Now behave yourself, or Tyler, Ethan, and Kathryn are going to find out all kinds of things about you before they even start working for you properly that you might not want them to. Plus you might scar Jack's parents."

Mark blushed even brighter and ducked his head against me, like Jack was still doing. I shook my head and gently ran my hands through their hair, trying to calm them down a little. Jack peeked up at me first, a small, embarrassed smile on his lips. I smiled back at him until he scooted up for a proper kiss and then he just laid where he had been earlier, at my side, cuddled as close as he could, holding me. I sighed contently again and closed my eyes for a moment. Mark kissed my neck, where he was still hiding, humming out a soft noise of happiness. Tyler chuckled. "You three are doing that thing again." I opened my eyes and quirked an eyebrow at him, silently asking what he meant. "That wordless noises things that the three of you do when you are all too comfy to actually talk or too tired to. It's ridiculously adorable. I'm really glad to see the three of you looking so much less stressed and more relaxed today. You really do look a lot better, even if it has only been a few hours of down time for you."

All three of us smiled, Mark turning to face Tyler now. He spoke up first, in fact. "We feel better too. Actually, I think we're probably going to try to take it somewhat easy tomorrow too, if we can. [Y/N] has actually agreed to be smart and rest as much as she can this week with us and let Gary and Adam train you guys, mostly. They already know what we need for editing, and we'll be around if you have questions, of course, but if all we have to do is take care of recording the actual videos, social media, and family stuff, it's going to be a lot easier on all of us. Plus, [Y/N] can handle that stuff from the wheelchair and couches or bed when she needs to. I know she can handle the editing that way too, but we honestly just want her to take a week off and not do any work stuff for once, but we know she won't. This is about the closest we're going to get."

I shook my head. "Hey, I'm not fighting either of you about this guys. And both of you need the downtime too. Mark, I still have to record with you, sweetheart, not that it's really a sacrifice to have to do that. I love working with both you and Jack, both on and off camera. I just need you both to remember I know my limits and I am listening to my body very carefully. You need to listen to me too. I'll tell you when something needs to change, okay? If you're worried, you can ask me, but please, not more than once or twice an hour, unless I'm acting oddly. I'm still recording with Jack too, just like I have been since he hurt himself all that time ago."

Jack nudged me gently with his cheek, smiling softly. "Good. I like recording with ye too, love. Ye help me stay on track and our commentary is always more lively when we work together. I can keep an eye on ye too, just ta see for myself ye aren't feeling bad. I know ye are taking it easier now, but ye didn't tell us when ye weren't sleeping, or when yer pain was bad, so we do have reasons we are worried."

I bit my lip, looking into his ocean blue eyes, momentarily losing myself in their depths, forgetting about everyone else in the room except him and Mark, who was cuddled in close. I sighed again and looked down, feeling a little guilty. "I know. I should have said something, I guess. I just didn't think about it really. I don't focus on pain when I'm in it. I push it away and work on ignoring it as much as I can or finding ways to get around it. And as for the sleep problems," I shrugged. "You guys know I've had problems with insomnia off and on forever. I didn't really think anything of it until it hit almost a whole week of barely any sleep."

Jack nodded, his hand coming up and stroking my cheek softly. "But that's part of why we worry, lass. Ye push things away that ye shouldn't and don't mention things ye should sometimes. We don't blame ye. We understand, especially with what ye told us ye've been through in tha past. It just makes us sad and worried when we see ye struggling. We just want ye safe, healthy, and happy, **_m'aingeal. Tá grá againn duit, mo bean chéile._** "

I smiled and cuddled into Jack's chest a little more, feeling loved. Ma and Pa both made a small 'aww' noise from their seats, smiling at us. Ethan was grinning, but looked confused. "Hey Jack? What did you just say to her? I mean, I know it was in another language, and all. Unless it was too personal to share." He suddenly blushed red, realizing maybe Jack had said something private.

Pa laughed. "Laddie, that was Irish Gaelic. Jack was just being sentimental. What he said translates ta 'my angel. We love ye, my wife.' Tha two of them seem ta enjoy sharing sweet love comments back and forth in Irish, calling each other husband and wife that way. I'm not quite sure why." He looked over at the two of us. "Come ta think of it, I didn't even know tha lass there knew any Irish."

I grinned. "A bit. I've been learning on my own, from Duolingo as much as I can and using a few other online resources to help. But I know I have a good bit of Irish heritage, and so will all our children, so I feel like it's important. Besides, I want them to learn Korean too at some point. The guys both already know some and I want to learn it too, when I have more time and energy to devote to it. I'm hoping the girls and I can all learn it at the same time, and maybe these new babies too, by the time we're ready to start learning in earnest. I don't know."

Mark smiled and rubbed my belly. I looked at him, meeting his eyes. He looked very content as he rested his head on my shoulder. "I think we can probably manage to get all of you started a bit before that, if you want, baby. But if you want to wait, we certainly can."

I ruffled his hair a little with one hand. "Maybe. I think starting the girls on Irish would be easier at this stage. Do you want to learn it to, sweetheart?"

Mark smiled brighter and nodded, cuddling even closer, his body seeming to melt against Jack and me a little more. "That would be wonderful, babe. You two both sound so sexy when you talk back and forth that way, and I've really been enjoying hearing it, but it's a little frustrating, not to understand the things you say to each other. I know you tell me whenever I ask, but I'd like not to have to ask you all the time. Plus I'd love to be able to join in and respond the same way."

Jack and I looked at each other, smiled brightly, and leaned into Mark and started peppering his face with kisses. He laughed. So did everyone else in the room. Tyler spoke up first. "Awww, Mark, I think they liked that idea and the sentiment behind it, buddy. Good job. Now, can we distract the three of you long enough to play a few games, or are you all going to be too busy cuddling and being gooey and sweet all afternoon?"

I giggled. "We can do both Ty. But yes, we'll play some games with you guys. Give us a minute to prop up a little more over here, please. What game do you guys want to play?"

Jack grinned at me and chuckled as he shifted a little, moving slowly to sit up, helping Mark and me at the same time, propping all three of us up in more comfortable positions and grabbing cushions and blankets to wrap around us. I smiled at him and snuggled close again as soon as he stopped moving around, wrapping him in a hug. He sighed contentedly and rested his head on my shoulder, humming out a soft noise and closed his eyes again. Mark leaned on my other side, kissing my cheek softly as he got comfortable as well, then smiled over at Tyler. "Okay guys. Whenever you're ready we are too. We're just taking things easy and slow today, so come on over close. I hope nobody minds."

Tyler grinned. "Finally. The three of you have been over doing things for way too long. It's good to see you all just taking some time to relax and snuggle together. We definitely don't mind moving to you and helping you guys out. Remember, everybody has already told you, multiple times, we're going to be helping you and it's a lot easier to do if the three of you are resting together instead of running around and stressing out over everything. Plus it's easier to look after you if all of you are in one place, from a purely logistical standpoint."

I smiled crookedly. "I know Ty. We're trying to make things easy on everybody. I already told Ma and Pa this, but I'm telling you now too, we're taking a bit of a break this week, probably just a few days, but maybe a little longer, to rest, recharge, and really heal up as much as we can, before life comes at us again full swing. All three of us need it. We're not putting off training you guys, Ethan, Kathryn, and Robin, we're just going to have the editors we've been using for the last few years start working with you first. We'll be around too, and be filming some videos still, at least a little, but we're going to be cutting back on things, all three of us, until after the babies get here. Seeing the extra baby, unexpectedly, was a real wake up call for all of us. And now that Jack's VISA issues are resolved to the point they are, we can finally breathe a little easier. Now we can just focus on getting healthy and staying that way for a while and getting these little rock stars here safely." I rubbed my tummy with a small smile. Jack and Mark both joined me instantly, pressing long, lingering kisses into my shoulders as they just stayed leaned into me, rubbing thoughtful hands alongside mine over the babies in slow, soothing patterns. I sighed contentedly as the babies shifted downward slightly, making it easier to breath again. "Thanks guys. I never seem to notice how much the babies are making it hard to breathe until you manage to get them to move a bit away from my lungs."

Jack nodded and leaned up to kiss my cheek. "Ye aren't good about mentioning that ta us, love, we know. We just didn't realize it was because ye didn't know it was happening either. Now ye just sit there, relax, and look gorgeous for us and work on growing those nine little beans all nice, healthy, and strong, my lovely wife. We'll try ta make sure ye are comfy, get something ta eat in a bit, and get plenty of sleep. Ye'll just have ta let us take care of ye, no arguing."

I chuckled softly, leaning into his touch and smiling at him. "Mmm. I won't argue if you agree to let everyone else help you guys out and remember to take care of yourselves too. If you don't, I'm going to be a whole lot less cooperative."

Mark grinned at me and nodded. "Good. We'll agree to those terms then. You just stay all calm and sweet for us, right here, wrapped up in our arms. Let everybody else take care of things for once. We'll do the same and just focus on keeping these wild babies of ours calm enough so you can breathe, eat, and sleep, sweetheart. It's the least we can do, after all you've been doing for both of us lately." Mark stroked a very gentle hand across my belly and nuzzled his face against my neck, sighing contentedly when I just closed my eyes, not moving or arguing in any way, except to lean into his touch a little more. He hummed a very soft sound to me, almost without thinking about it, just a wordless noise of happiness, rumbling out from his chest into me, Jack, and the babies. 

Jack felt it as much as he heard it and reached a hand over to rub Mark's shoulder. "Ye best be resting up too, Mark. None of us are really in all that great a shape ta be doing much right now. We all three of us so exhausted, it's a wonder we made it through tha last week in one piece. I think it's only because tha lass had everything so planned out for us, even tha little things, like having tha girls over at Felix and Marzia's for tha last few nights, so we could have a few quiet nights alone." He sighed. "I love our daughters dearly, don't doubt that, any of ye, but they are a wild bunch, ta be sure, ta be sure."

I laughed. "Oh Seán, sweetie, I think hearing me speak all this Gaelic to you, and being around your parents again is bringing out the Irish in you more. You haven't said that phrase in ages." I grinned at him, gently teasing him, then kissing him and running a very soft hand along his cheek. "Not that I have any objections to your Irish slang, laddiebuck, as you well know. I love the way you talk, no matter what you're saying. I love everything about you, Seán, _ **mo fhear céile an-gnéasúi**_."

Jack grinned at me as he blushed a little and growled, then kissed me again. "Ooh, ye're lucky ye're cute, _**mo bean chéile**_. Ye know how much I love ye too, **_m'aingeal_**." Jack pressed a kiss on my earlobe and whispered right in my ear, soft as he could, so only Mark and I would hear, "And ye are very sexy too, love, very, very sexy. Every bit as sexy as Mark and I are, if not more so. Now, behave yerself. My parents can understand ye, ye know."

My eyes glittered with suppressed laughter as I turned my face towards him, smiling softly. "I know that, Seán. I don't mind. The world whole world knows how I feel about you and Mark by now, I think. Besides, I doubt my calling you sexy is going to make anyone but you blush, dear one. It's just fun to see you and Mark get so flustered sometimes when I say things that are relatively innocent. After all, I have said things to you that are much, much dirtier." I grinned brighter as both men suddenly blushed brilliantly and looked absolutely panicked. I laughed. "I wouldn't do that right now, but like I said calling you very sexy is pretty innocent, husband mine. Settle down."

Jack groaned and leaned his head on my shoulder, his whole body language now looking utterly defeated. Robin laughed and came over, patting him on the shoulder. "Man, Jack, she really got you backed into a corner there. I mean, she wasn't wrong, and that was really pretty funny to watch, but she had you all tied up in a knot."

I giggled. "Seán is fun to play with. He and Mark have been a little overprotective at times, which makes my hormones go a bit crazy. They don't need the extra help. Besides, both guys know I would never do anything to hurt them." I sighed and cuddled into them, just getting a little closer to both of them for a minute. Mark smiled and rubbed his good hand along my shoulder and down my arm. Jack smiled and hugged me, lifting his head to snuggle into my body and pulled me closer, wrapping his arms around my body, his hands resting over the babies, a little possessively and very protectively. I turned my head and kissed his forehead, drawing out a smile, then drew Mark into a kiss as well a moment later when I turned and looked at him. "Mmm, that's better. I love you two goobers. Now, let's play some games, shall we? Before anything else distracts us?"

Ma stood up with a chuckle. "Sounds good lass, but I'm going ta go make ye lot a snack, if ye think ye can stomach something. Ye really should try ta eat a bit more again, if ye can. Do ye boys want some food too? Can I get ye lot anything else?"

Jack smiled up at his mother and nodded briefly. "Yes, please, Ma. Thank ye. Whatever ye want ta bring us will be wonderful. All three of us will just stay here and relax and rest some more. And can ye bring us some more ta drink? Mark and [Y/N] haven't been drinking enough lately. I should get up and get them something myself, I suppose."

Ma came over and put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't ye even think of moving, Seán William McLoughlin. I offered ta bring ye things so ye wouldn't get up. All three of ye need tha rest. Besides that, if ye move, ye'll have ta displace yer wife and boyfriend, and neither one of them need ta have that right now. Ye just keep still and listen ta yer mother."

Jack blushed crimson. I giggled. "Actually Ma, ye messed his name us a bit. He changed it just a little, when we got married, so we could have tha same last name as all our children. I did too. Mark will be filing for a last name change, legally before long as well. Seán's name is now Seán William McLoughlin-Fischbach." I smiled and kissed Jack again brushing his hair from his face gently as I cupped his cheek. He smiled back at me, still blushing a bit, looking chagrined but happy, then ducked his head into my shoulder again when Pa cleared his throat. 

"When did ye do that, son? And why didn't ye mention it ta us?" Pa looked confused.

Jack swallowed against my shoulder, staying hidden from the room. I hugged him closer to me. "Shh, Seán, my love, it's okay. Look, your parents aren't mad at you, sweetie, they just want to know what's going on. Oh, Jack..." I cuddled him to me, worried as I watched him fighting anxiety and panic. I knew in my heart this was misplace fear from what had been going on with his VISA, not from what PA had said, and that Jack was finally letting some of his built up emotions go, but I was still sad to see him so worked up like this. Jack just started shaking and sobbed into my neck. I shifted around, soothing into Mark's lap, and pulled Jack into my lap, cuddling him close to me rubbing his back, trying to soothe him as best I could. "Shhh, Seán, let it all out sweetheart. It's okay. I this is just a reaction to all the fear, pressure, and stress, isn't is, love?" Jack nodded, sobbing again, humming out a soft noise of distress into my chest. 

Mark wrapped his arm around both of us and leaned forward kissing Jack's hair sweetly. "Hey, you've been so strong for us for so long, it's okay to let go now, babe. We got you now. You're safe, tucked up here in [Y/N]'s arms like this. I'm holding her tight, and I'm not letting either of you go anywhere. Your folks are right here to support us if we need anything, and so is Tyler. Felix and Marzia have the girls, so we know they are okay for a while, and our friends are just a phone call away. Anything you need we can help you with, Jack. Just tell us what you need. How can we help you?"

Jack sobbed again, seemingly unable to stop himself. I hummed softly and pulled his head gently in between my breasts, rocking him slightly in my arms. After about fifteen minutes Jack stopped sobbing, his tears slowing, but he didn't move, seeming emotionally drained now. I kept gently rocking him and rubbing his back with one hand, just letting him recover. a few more minutes passed quietly before he gently pulled away from me to wipe his eyes and face the room again, looking embarrassed. "I'm sorry about that. I really don't know what came over me." I reached over and rested a hand on his knee. He looked back at me, his eyes red from crying and looking sore and puffy, but full of love for me all the same. I smiled softly at him. Jack smiled back and reached over to hug me, impulsively, then stayed leaned into Mark and I, unable or unwilling to let us go after. I pressed a few gentle kisses into his face, stroked his hair, and hummed a very soft note to him, just wordlessly asking if he was feeling any better. He nodded and curled against me, closing his eyes, looking exhausted again. "I'm okay, _**m'aingeal**_ , just tired and emotionally wrung out now. I wasn't expecting ta have that kind of thing happen, ye know? It felt like everything just hit me at once and I couldn't..." Jack stopped and shook his head.

I chuckled softly, running my fingers softly through his hair. "Believe me Seán, _**mo fhear céile an-gnéasúi**_ , I know all about that. That's what my hormones have been doing to me, on a regular basis lately. It feels a bit like a freight train. I'm sorry you got overwhelmed though. I hate seeing you or Mark sad or upset, about anything. Now you just lay back, here in my arms, and rest for a bit. I've got you, loverboy. You look tired again. You're still not totally healthy either, my love, much as I wish you were. Ma brought us out some snacks while you were trying to calm down, if you want something to eat, and some apple juice or water, so you should definitely drink something. After a cry like that, you can get dehydrated." I smiled crookedly. "Believe me, I know. Remember the time in Ireland, when I was expecting the girls, after our walk in the woods at your parents house? I felt pretty dehydrated then for sure." Jack smiled weakly up at me and nodded. I took it as a good sign. "Okay sweetheart. Do you want apple juice or water then?"

Jack sniffled softly against my chest, where his head was tucked again. "Apple juice please. Thank ye, love. I'm sorry for being so needy right now."

I sighed. "Oh, Seán, you're not! I love helping you, especially after all you and Mark have been doing for me, for months now. We're a family and we depend on each other, emotionally and physically, when we need the support." I smiled at him as I poured him a glass of juice and handed it to him, then fluffed his hair with one hand again. He leaned into my touch without thinking about it, closing his eyes again, and just sipped at his juice, looking small and vulnerable. I kissed his cheek, softly, bringing out a small half-smile on his face. 

Mark rubbed his bad hand against my back and sighed contentedly behind me. "Jack, [Y/N] is right you know. Neither one of us minds helping you out, at all, with anything. You've been doing so much more for us, for the last few months, then either of us could expect or repay, and besides that, we love you more than we can say. Just rest, babe. Honestly, I'm surprised it took this long for your emotions to snap like this. I've kind of been expecting something like this since Friday, after we talked to the lawyers. I'm glad it wasn't as bad as it could have been, for your sake, either the emotional breakdown, or how things went that day. Our wonderful lady love had things well in hand to make sure nobody could rip you away from us, that's for damn sure. She was scary."

Jack chuckled softly, a real smile playing briefly across his lips. "That she was, Mark. My god. Lass, ye were so amazing, it blows my mind. And even now, it's like ye were planning for this too."

I nodded gently. "Seán, I knew you might have a bit of a breakdown after all this emotion upheaval and stress. I've been trying, as hard as I possibly could, to give you as many outlets for it and ways to vent as possible so you didn't just collapse or have a real meltdown, like I was afraid you might. I was scared for you, love. I've seen what can happen if you bottle things up too long. Mental health is serious and you need to take care of yourself, mentally as well as physically. That's part of why I'm making us take a short break now too. None of us are really in a great mental place at the moment to do a lot of filming. We'll be okay for a vlog or two, probably, but not for something like a let's play, especially not a longer one, or even a longer vlog. We're just too worn down and tired, mentally. We need to rest and give ourselves a chance to recharge a bit so we can come back stronger and more energetic. We have plenty of videos in the buffers, for both of you, and even I have some in my backlog, of gameplay and a few animations tucked away that I can release or work on from the couch here if I want without moving. But honestly I think all three of us should just send out a message on social media later this afternoon that we need a few days off from things and we might be a bit absent while we rest up. We can even say videos won't be effected, so not to panic, we just won't be as good about responding to comments or answering our socials as fast so the communities don't panic when we are quiet. What do you two think?"

Jack nodded. Mark kissed my shoulder. "Absolutely baby. That's super smart. In fact, let me do that now. Do you want me to send one out and tag all three of us? Or do we all need to send out separate tweets? I post something on Tumblr too, just to keep the fandom in check."

I patted Mark's knee. "Good plan, Markimoo. I'll send out a reply to your tweet, instead of a separate tweet. It will let my followers see it, but prevent a double post. And I'll post on Tumblr too. Seán? Do you want me to do the same for you?" Jack nodded again, still not moving from where he was curled in my chest, other then to shift a little in his seat, so he was sitting more under me, more firmly on next to Mark on the couch, tucking his head further in my chest and pulling me more comfortably and solidly into his lap. I ran my fingers of one hand through his hair again while I tweeted a reply from his account too, then posted a short message on Tumblr about taking a few days off and reblogged a fan art of the family that was really amazing, turning my phone to him to show him. I kissed his cheek and he opened his eyes to look at me. "Hey love, look at this. I reblogged it for you, but I thought you should see it too. It's incredible. The fans are so talented sometimes."

Jack took my phone with trembling fingers and stared intently at the picture, his eyes tearing up again, a huge smile on his face. I kissed his forehead and ran my fingers through his hair some more, knowing it was helping him stay calm by the way he kept leaning into my touch and the small noises he was making. I could also feel the knots in his scalp, from tension, and I was trying to gently massage them away as I ran my fingers through his hair, but be subtle so he didn't realize what I was doing. Sometimes, even when he was tense, Jack would fight either Mark or me giving him a massage, claiming it was too much work for us and it made him embarrassed. If we were sneaky, and started rubbing him down before he could really protest, he would usually let us finish, but sometimes even that was a struggle. Jack could be stubborn, but we loved him so dearly, we would both do anything we could to help him, even try to be subtle and a touch deceitful in our movements in an effort to help him. Jack sniffled a few times the suddenly looked up at me, pulled away from me to set my phone and his glass down on the table, then leaned back into me even closer and pulled my face down into his with both of his hands on my cheeks, meeting my lips with his in an absolutely scorching kiss. My mind went blank as a slate, lost in the heat of the kiss, the wonderful softness of his lips, the fiery passion building between us, and the gentleness of his fingers on my skin as he held my face close. Our eyes locked too, and I read messages of love, trust, lust, and so much more in those gorgeous ultramarine depths, which glittered so like the sapphire in the ring he had gotten me it took my breath away, making me gasp just slightly. Jack took that moment to deepen the kiss, mating our tongues together and tilting our heads. I kissed him back with equal passion and fire, loving ever second of this, closing my eyes when he deepened the kiss and leaning into Mark a bit more, feeling a little dizzy. Mark chuckled as he watched us both, which finally brought Jack back to reality. "Sorry, love. I didn't mean ta get so carried away on ye. I just... That picture was so stunning and I **_needed_** ta see it. How did ye know?"

I smiled at him and fanned myself with one hand for a second. "Whew. Seán, I just knew. And I wasn't complaining, in the least. You did make me a bit dizzy, but Mark was keeping both of us nice and steady, so it was fine. You might want to remember though, next time, we aren't alone, love. I doubt Robin, or your parents for that matter, were expecting to see you get that frisky that fast, Mr. man. Now behave yourself, loverboy. I'm more than happy to cuddle you as close as may be, but maybe save the more passionate stuff for when we're in a bit more private setting, okay?"

Jack went still and blushed as red as I've ever seen him. "Shit." His voice went tiny as he looked over at his parents, then Robin, Tyler, and Ethan. "I'm so sorry. Ye didn't need ta see me mauling my wife like that. I'll try ta have more control in tha future, I promise."

Robin laughed, breaking the sudden tension. "Relax, Jack. You were cute with her. Honestly, I'm happy to see you back in a better mental place then you were a little while ago. I've been really impressed with all three of you so far and I definitely want to get to know you better, but you seem so nice, caring, and genuine that I hate to see you so upset and hurt. I'm glad to see your wife was able to pull you back from the edge that way, especially with the help of your boyfriend. It's really clear all three of you are good for each other and really care about each other. I don't pretend to know anything about your personal lives, other then what you've shared with us, but like I said, I can tell, I already like all three of you, a lot. I respect you too. I respected you before I ever met you, in person. [Y/N], your animations are quite good, especially if you don't have a lot of training, which seems to be what you indicated when you talked about them in one of your videos when you first started making them. Unless you've had more training since then?"

I smiled and shook my head. "Nope. I'm entirely self-taught. I just thought it looked like something fun to try. So one day I tackled my first one, after I wrapped up the editing for these two at work. I know if I had more time to work on animations I'd be better, but I just don't have the time to spare for that at this point. My life is pretty crazy, as you can see."

Robin nodded. "Hey, for what it's worth, I think it's amazing you do nearly as much as you do now. And your skills aren't at all bad now. Really it just seems like you lack confidence and maybe a little speed. I've seen you do the behind the scenes shots and the streams of your animations process and it looks pretty good to me. I mean, when I work on my animations, my process is a little different, but I use different tools than you do, and my style is a bit different, but that's about the only difference. For someone who hasn't been doing this stuff long, you do good work." 

I blushed. "Thanks. I feel like I have a lot of room to grow there, but not enough time to focus on it. But that won't be changing for a long time yet, especially not with all these little beans on the way." I rubbed my tummy gently as I looked down fondly. Jack and Mark were both wrapped around me tightly, but even so, I was big enough now my baby belly was visible around them. 

Jack shook his head and rubbed a hand next to mine, a tender look in his eyes. "Aye love. I think all our time and priorities are going ta shift again. Ye know they did when ye gave us our amazing girls, on my birthday eighteen months ago. Now, stop doubting yerself so much. Ye are truly a wonder. Mark and I both know it. Tha girls know it. All our friends and family know it. Yer department knows it. Hell, tha whole TV show knows it. Just accept tha honest praise when someone give it ta ye, just like ye accept tha criticisms. We know ye take those inta consideration and don't let them get ye down, but seriously think about them. Ye should do tha same with tha good comments too, at least ta some degree, love." Jack kissed my cheek, catching my eye when I looked down. "I know it's hard for ye, and why. I won't push ye on this. Just think on it, all right? It would be a healthy step in tha right direction for ye, **_mo bhean chéile milis_**."

I closed my eyes again, nodding, and just breathed in the calm, resting my forehead against Jack's for a minute, leaning into his warm presence, soaking him in. Ethan spoke up. "What did that mean? What you just said to her, Jack? At the end there, I mean. It sounded nice."

I smiled as I looked into Jack's eyes now, seeing a small smile on his face. "Mmm. I called her 'my sweet wife' in Gaelic. Seems appropriate. She just keeps making me feel better all weekend and helping Mark and me stay calm and relaxed. Both of us would be a right mess lately if it wasn't for her, I think."

I chuckled. "Hey, I've been a moody, cranky, disaster today. The two of you have been nothing but patient and wonderful, helping me calm the jumping beans we call babies in my belly, letting me eat, breathe, and sleep. I would have been lost a long time ago with out either one of you. Don't ever think that way Seán." I leaned forward enough to steal a kiss. When I pulled back, Jack looked like I had shocked him with a shock collar. "Hmm, I love you."

Jack swallowed, hard, and rested his head against mine, still looking stunned. Ma chuckled, clearly amused. Mark did too. "Baby, you really haven't been that bad. You had a few rough moments, but we knew you didn't feel good. Honestly, it isn't a big deal to help you. You don't have to act like it was or is, ever. We love doing things for you, you know that. And Jack is right too, you are sweet and helpful and kind. And a lot of other things that make us love you just as much as you love us. Now, you just rest and relax, like you have been today. It makes us both feel better, seeing you rest up with us. We aren't going anywhere for a while."

I nodded and leaned back into Mark's chest again, resting my head on his shoulder, making him smile. Jack blinked, his expression clearing, finally, and he leaned forward and drew both of us into a hug. "Mm. Ye devil woman. Did ye have ta fry my brain again, in front of my parents? That gets a mite embarrassing ye know." I giggled and raised and eyebrow at him, my eyes glinting with mischief. He read the message hidden there for him quite clearly and laughed. "All right, all right, I surrender. Ye didn't really do all that much, ye're right. Ye just have that much of an effect on me, love. It's no wonder ye can keep everyone in line so well."

I grinned at me and booped the end of his nose with a fingertip. "Oh, Seán. You and Mark are easy. And I know how to keep the girls on their toes too. I can make pretty much everyone dance to my tune when I want to. Good thing I don't abuse my powers for evil."

Jack grinned back at me and nodded. "Ye bet it is. Ye really could be a devil woman. We saw yer costume yesterday. Sexiest devil ever. Ye'd make a lot of men fall without a second thought." Jack shifted against Mark and me, subtly grinding on both of us a little and hugging us closer for a few seconds. I knew what he was doing and my eyes danced, knowing he had probably started to get a boner when I kissed him several minutes ago. He was getting worked up and was trying to hide it, because of his parents in the room, but still wanted to let us know. I looked at him, making sure we were completely hidden under the blankets and when I saw we were, I slowly reached down and undid his pants, going slowly to disguise my movements and not alert anyone else. Jack bit his lip, looked at me, and then buried his head on my shoulder again, letting out a very soft whimper in my ear. 

I smirked and ran my other hand along the side of his head, as though I were just soothing away pain, and whispered in his ear that he had to stay as quiet as he could or bite down on my shoulder if he didn't want everyone else to hear how good I was making him feel, unless he wanted me to stop, feeling him throbbing at full attention against me now. Mark raised an eyebrow at me, knowing exactly what I was doing. Ethan spoke up again. "Um Jack? Are you okay? You've gotten really really quiet all of the sudden and you're kind of red in the face, even if you did bury yourself in your wife's shoulder. Are you okay over there, buddy?"

Jack whined slightly to me now, even softer as I moved my hand away from him, where I had been resting it against his undone pants, but wasn't teasing him. I looked at him. He shook his head, barely perceptible, and I moved my hand back, as he was asking. He sighed in relief. I smiled at him. I looked over at Ethan. "Jack's just not feeling like himself today. He's all out of sorts. His emotions keep swinging all over the place, something I totally understand. So he's being a little more clingy to me than usual. He's embarrassed about it is all." I looked into Jack face and smiled, seeing the relief at my plausible explanation on his features. He shifted his hips slightly, grinding on me again, trying to get himself off, subtly. I mentally chuckled and moved my hand into his underwear, rolled a condom onto him that I had stuck in a pocket for later, which I had grabbed earlier when I grabbed my phone from my purse earlier in the afternoon, and started to help him, slowly running my hand up and down his hard, throbbing cock, focusing on making him feel good. He closed his eyes for a moment and just breathed when I swiped the head of his cock with my thumb, and leaned heavily against me again after that. I leaned forward and whispered to him, words of love and praise in his ear a few times as I made him feel good until he came undone in my hand several minutes later, silently panting into my shoulder after leaving a small bite when he came, unable to stop himself from shouting out any other way. Mark watched, slightly wide-eyed, his boner poking into me the whole time and his breath hitching a few times. After Jack came, I kissed him gently on the earlobe again and murmured what a good, quiet boy he was. Jack smiled sleepily now and cuddled in even closer, relaxed and boneless, in a post-orgasm haze. No one else noticed, the conversation continuing around us seamlessly. I slid the used condom off Jack and tied it up, one handed, keeping my movements under the blanket. Then I did Jack's pants back up as Jack fell asleep, napping on my shoulder now. I smiled at him, moving my hand up to rub his back softly and soothingly. His gentle snores a few minutes later reassured me that he was deeply asleep now. I grabbed a few tissues, blew my nose to disguise my actions and managed to hide the used condom in the wad of tissues to throw out later. 

Mark grinned at me as he watched, then leaned forward to whisper to me, right in my ear. "Smooth moves there baby. Thank you for getting Jack so relaxed again too. He needed that."

I nodded and whispered back, soft as a breath, "I know Mark. Besides, it was fun. I don't think anyone suspected anything either. We all kept the conversation going, except Jack. I'm just glad he's sleeping again now." Mark nodded and leaned his head against mine, sharing his love for me. Tyler noticed our renewed cuddles first and smiled at us. 

"Aww. You guys are so cute today. All three of you. You managed to get Jack to sleep again, somehow, [Y/N], and now you and Mark are snuggling even more. It's so sweet." He grinned at us both. "I'm really happy to see you finally just doing what the doctors have been telling you you're suppose to be doing, finally. All of you are so damn stubborn, it's hard to keep you on track sometimes."

I grinned. "Yeah, well, blame that on the Irish heritage Seán and I both have. Mark can probably blame the German heritage. Those are all know for being very yielding and retractable folks, right?" Mark snorted in my ear, letting me know he was amused. Our new editors, Tyler, and Ma and Pa all grinned too. 

Pa spoke up. "Yeah, that might explain things a bit. Though ye are more stubborn than any full blooded Irish person I've ever met yet, lass. There's just something about ye that goes beyond whatever yer heritage may be."

I laughed quietly. "Of course there is. I don't even know what my full family background is. I mean, I know there is a good bit of Irish. After all, my grandmother's name was Mary Eileen McGee before she got married. And one of my grandfathers was Irish, Micheal Seamus O'Connor, on the other side of the family. But beyond that, I don't really know much. But as for the stubbornness, that has to do entirely with me. I'm mule headed. It's partly a family thing, on my mom's side of the family, but I'm even worse then the rest of the family by far." I looked down, my thoughts turning inward. I got quiet. Mark looked at me, rubbing my shoulder with one hand, a question in his eyes now. I sighed as I looked back up. "Part of that stubbornness is because of what I went through, growing up. Being so badly bullied and abused like I was, made me dig my heels in more and become a lot more stubborn about the things I believed in strongly, one way or another. I didn't stand up for myself often, but when I did, no one, and I do mean NO ONE, could ever get me to back down. They might, if they could present a good enough, logical reason, change my mind, but that wasn't even always the case. And no amount of emotional manipulation ever worked. I just dug in hard and held faster and tighter." I looked down at the floor again, unable to meet anyone's eyes now.

Mark kissed my cheek softly and stroked a hand down my back. "Hey baby, it's okay. I've got you now. You know no one is going to judge you for anything you tell us. And Jack and I love you, stubborn as you are. You keep us on our toes, that's all. I'm so sorry you had such a hard childhood, angel. You know how Jack and I both feel about that." I nodded, cuddling closer to Mark again. I sniffled a little, my earlier fragile feelings coming back a bit. Mark just wrapped his arms around me as best he could. "Shh, babe. I've got you. You just relax. Jackaboy's here too. We're both here to take good care of you, just like you've been taking care of us. Nothing can get you anymore, I promise. And Jack's parents are here to help too. Come on sweetheart, don't cry, please?" A few tears were slowly leaking down my cheeks now, despite my best efforts. I reached up and scrubbed them away and curled into Mark's chest, taking a few deep calming breaths. He smiled at me. "Hey, that's better. Just get comfy. Why don't we play a game? I bet Tyler will help set one up for us. Right Ty?"

Tyler smiled and walked over, sitting down next to Mark and patting him on the shoulder. "Sure, buddy. Hey, [Y/N], hang in there. I know you're having a rough day, but things will be better soon. After all, you won't be pregnant forever, and then you'll have those beautiful babies to show for it. Just keep that in mind, yeah?"

I sniffled again and nodded. "Thanks Tyler. I'm just having a lot of hormones to deal with today. I feel like I'm on a hormone rollercoaster. It's making me really wobbly." I sighed. "I'm doing my best." I took a few breaths of Mark's unique scent, hoping to calm my hormones again, as I snuggled him. It seemed to work because my brain slowly settled, feeling safe again. I grabbed a tissue from the box and wiped my face, then blew my nose. "Okay, I'm more together, mentally. Thanks for helping me Mark. You got me calm again, just by being here."

Mark smiled. "Good. I hate seeing you so upset. I know you have good reason sometimes, love, but Jack and I both hate it. We want you happy and safe, all the time. You just make us so happy and do so much for us both, it's the least we can do, trying to make sure we keep you as happy as you make us. And you never seem to lean on us when you feel bad, unless things are really, really bad. We both wish you would let us help you more before things get so bad for you, baby. It makes us feel more useful and let's us show you how precious you are to us. Please try to remember that."

I looked into his face. "Mark, I never, even for a minute, forget how much you and Seán love me and care for me. You both make my whole world better all the time. You just have to understand, because of how Dad treated me and how my grandmother abused me when I was little, I can't..." I stopped and took a deep breath, shivering. Mark paled. I had never told either him or Jack about this part before. I hadn't told anyone this before. I plunged on before I lost my nerve. "I was told, repeatedly by two people who I trusted, who should have been trustworthy for a six-year old, that relying on anyone else was not only dangerous but would get me killed. In a way, they were probably right. If I had relied on them, I would have died as a teenager, when they were telling me I was worthless and should kill myself because I was a waste of resources and space and no one would miss me if I committed suicide." I looked down and swallowed. Tears were sliding slowly down my cheeks again, but I didn't even notice then now.

Mark made a small noise of distress, making me look back u at him. He was crying now too. "Babe. Holy shit. I just... Just holy shit." I nodded and leaned into him again. Mark just wrapped his arms around me a little tighter and kissed the top of my head, not saying anything else. Neither one of us moved for a while. The rest of the room had gone silent, except for the occasional soft snore from Jack as he continued to sleep peacefully next to us, lost to the world of exhaustion for now. I knew he would find out about this conversation from Mark soon enough. Honestly, I trusted our new editors, Tyler, and Ma and Pa, so it wasn't exactly like I was trying to hide my past from them either, it was just too painful to talk about most of the time. Today was just a rare day when I was able to discuss things without panicking. Even this revelation, major as it was, and it was big, hadn't spun me out, it just made me sad. After about twenty minutes, Mark looked at me again. "Baby? Do you want to try playing that game now? Or do you just want to keep cuddling me quietly and let everyone else keep talking amongst themselves?"

I shrugged. "Mark, honestly, I'm not feeling very social anymore. I just want you to keep holding me close. I might fall back asleep in a few minutes. I'm starting to feel pretty drained. I'm sorry. If you want to play a game, I can try to stay awake and participate, but I'm not sure how fun I'll be."

Mark shook his head and smiled crookedly. "No sweetheart, it's not that. You just rest. Just close your eyes and cuddle into your husband if you want. Jack looks a bit lonely over there. I bet he'd like some cuddles now, there's a good girl. Mmhmm. I'll rub your belly too and get the babies settled. You just get some sleep." I nodded and shifted closer to Jack, who, even in his sleep, opened his arms to cuddle with me more, sensing it was me and wanting me near him. I sighed and snuggled in as close as I could, get comfortable, tucking my head on Jack's shoulder and curling up a bit. Mark adjusted the blankets around all of us a little and hugged both of us then started rubbing my tummy and humming very softly, a gentle sound that immediately put my brain at ease and calmed my overwrought nerves. I closed my eyes and could feel myself drifting off to sleep again, but couldn't find myself caring too much. The last thing I remember was Jack's gentle snores in my ear, a soft chuckle from Mark, and the sound of his humming filling my head.

I woke up to the sound of the girls coming home some time later. I could hear Marzia and Felix in the driveway, parking and unloading the van, which they had borrowed to manage the mob. Jack was still asleep behind me, holding me close. Mark was asleep now as well, much to my amusement. I blinked sleepy eyes and looked around. Ma grinned at me. "Shh, lass, it's alright. Everyone could see how exhausted tha three of ye were and just decided ta let ye rest. Tha whole lot of them promised ta come back over later, after ye had all had a chance ta rest a bit more. Tyler was particularly happy ta see ye getting both boys ta sleep more. He knows how stressed both of them have been and how much Mark has been pushing himself. He and I talked a fair bit, before he headed back over ta tha guest house." Ma sighed and looked at me. I blinked, still trying to shake the sleep from my brain. "Lass, ye have ta know, Pa and I had no idea how bad yer life really was, before ye meet Jack."

I held up a hand. "Hey. I got through it. I don't like to dwell on things. That's part of why I don't talk about my childhood much though, or push people to talk about the past if I think they might have something that upsets them. You never no what's hidden there that could be a trigger. I'm not super easily triggered my things, but every once in a while I have a bad day and get panicky or overly emotional and spin out. Usually I can just keep myself grounded by burying myself in work to keep ahead of the voices of the past. That's why I tend to work myself so hard. But right now, I can't and so the quiet tend to creep in on me and let them be a little louder sometimes. So between that and my hormones, I have a bit more trouble some days. Mark and Jack know. I've told them nearly everything." I looked down. "A few things are still hard to talk about. Like earlier when I was talking to Mark about when I was little. That was something I hadn't mentioned before. I'm sure he's going to tell Jack later. I want him to. He knows that. I can't. I just can't talk about this stuff very often."

Ma nodded and came over and kissed my forehead. "Lass, ye are so strong, ye astound me. None of tha family had any idea about any of this. Jack had said ye had things rough, but that was all. I think he didn't want ta upset us by telling us exactly how bad yer past really was. He knows about what happened with his Pa and how upset that makes him sometimes."

I nodded. "Pa told me earlier. Mark and I didn't know until today. I always wondered, but like I said, I don't want to trigger people, so I don't ask questions about people's past normally. Now, I heard Marzia and Felix pull up. Can you go let them in, please Ma? I don't really want to be talking about my past anymore when the girls come in."

Ma smiled and nodded, then patted my belly gently. "Ye just keep resting, lass. It's clearly doing ye and tha lads there some good. And Jack, I see yer eyes opening. Ye might as well wake up now. Yer daughters are home. Give yer wife a kiss, son, and brace yerself." With a chuckle Ma headed out the door with Pa to go help herd the toddlers in the house.

Jack smiled sleepily at me. "Mm, okay Ma. Thanks." Jack leaned in close and kissed me, a slow, tender kiss, taking his time. I melted into him, warm and willing, letting the last of the tension in my body flow out under his touch. After a minute he gently sat back and stroked a hand along my cheek. "I love ye so much, [Y/N]. Ye are amazing. Thank ye for everything ye've been doing for me, not just lately, but since we met. I can't believe how lucky I am ta know ye."

I smiled into Jack's face and rubbed noses with him. "Aww. Sleepy Seán is sentimental. I love you too, hubby mine. You and Mark are perfect for me, in every way, so of course I'm going to do everything I can to help you both. And you both make me feel so much better just by being around and close to me, it's like you light me up from the inside somehow and chase the darkness away. You make it easier to deal with everything. I really didn't know how unhappy I had always been until I moved out here and actually found happiness with you guys, as sappy as that sounds. Now I can't imagine my life without you."

Jack grinned at me. "Who's tha sentimental one now?" I just grinned back and pressed a kiss into his lips, a fast and tender expression of love. Jack chuckled and returned it. Mark laughed quietly behind us both, holding both of us, clearly amused by our sappy display of emotions. Jack just looked at him, still grinning when he pulled back from our quick kisses and raised an eyebrow. "What, Mark? She included ye too, ye know. And ye know how I feel, I hope."

Mark smiled and nodded, resting his hand on Jack's shoulder. "Of course I do, Seán. We all know where we stand in this relationship. I was just happy to hear you feeling better after your nap. It hurt to hear you struggling so much earlier and coming apart at the seams, like you were, from all the stress you've been under and emotional turmoil. I relieved to see you were back to yourself again. That's all, I swear."

Jack blinked. "Ye called me Seán. Mark, ye never call me that. Why now?"

Mark blushed. "I wanted you to know I was serious. Also, I've been thinking about it. [Y/N] seems to call you Seán when she's being more personal or intimate, and I don't necessarily mean in a sexual way. I was thinking maybe that would be I should do too. Unless you want me to just keep calling you Jack all the time, I mean."

Jack blushed. "N-no, I like hearing ye call me Seán. I was just surprised. Ye hardly ever use my real name."

I grinned and snuggled in closer to Jack. "I think I'm the only one who does, aren't I, love?" Jack nodded, smiling at me. I giggled softly. "I kind of just didn't think about it either, when I started calling you by your real name. I mean, I try not to for work stuff, mostly, but when it's personal life I prefer to. It helps me keep it straight in my head. Like work you is separate from home you."

Jack laughed. "I see. I never noticed when ye were calling me which name, love. It makes sense though. I love hearing ye say my name. Ye sound so sexy." Jack looked in my eyes, a smile on his lips and leaned a little closer, to whisper in my ear. "Especially when ye moan it out when we're in bed together or ye get excited and ye're all breathless. Jesus, it's one of tha sexiest things I've ever heard. I never thought I'd be so turned on my tha sound of my own name." Jack sat back and winked at me.

I blushed and buried my face in his neck, a little embarrassed to be called out like that. Jack chuckled. I peeked up and met his eyes, seeing the lust and love shining out from them for me, and swatted his shoulder with a hand. "Behave Mister. I have ways to keep you in line, don't forget." I grinned and gently kissed the skin of his neck, just in front of where my face was, where the shoulder and neck muscles joined, making Jack's whole body quiver under me. I smiled, my lips still against his skin, and hummed a soft noise of satisfaction. Jack shivered and hugged me.

"Enough of that lass. We have company here. I don't need ta embarrass myself in front of everyone." I raised my eyes and winked at him, subtly, reminding him of the handjob I had given him before he fell asleep. He blushed as he looked at my expression, reading my thoughts. "Lass..." I giggled. 

Mark laughed now too. "Oh Seán, she's feisty today, when she's not having issues with here anxiety. I'm more than happy to see her happy though, even if she is being a handful. We can handle her, I think. Now, I hear the girls coming. You both might want to calm down a little there."

I laughed. "Wouldn't be the first time they walked in on us talking dirty to each other, guys. I'm sure it won't be the last. They are going to grow up knowing, without a doubt, all three of their parents love each other very much, even if our relationship isn't the most traditional. A lot of kids can't say the same, so I think our kids are very lucky. They are never, ever going to doubt we love them either."

Jack and Mark shared a look then hugged me close, embracing each other as well. "No baby they aren't. And they aren't going to face any of the other things you had to either, if we can prevent it. Hopefully, our kids are going to have really good, safe, happy childhoods and happy, healthy lives. That's all anyone can ask for, in the long run. If we can manage to give them that, I think we can say we were damn successful parents."

I nodded, smiling. "Yeah. I think so too." We were still hugging like this when the front door burst open and a wall of sound hit our ears, followed but a small explosion of chaos that was the girls, Jacob, Felix, Marzia, Ma, Pa, Ethan, Tyler, the dogs, Robin, and Kathryn all coming through the door together. Sammi was holding Jacob's hand in one hand and pulling on Ethan's hand in the other, half dragging him along as she tried to get him to move faster. He was laughing and talking to Tyler, who was carrying Dani in his arms. Tiana was holding Pa's hand and patting Steve on the back as he ran around their feet, excited to see the girls again after they had been away for the night. Chica was sticking close to Stephanie, who was toddling along on her own, just in front of Marzia and Felix, looking around for us. As soon as she spotted us, she squealed, and started running over, drawing her sisters attention to us as well, making all three of them want to come over too. Within five minutes of them getting in the door, all five toddlers were cuddling the three of us, even as we were still cuddling each other. Sammi and Dani were sitting in between the guys and I, snuggled in close. Stephanie was snuggling Mark, sitting in his lap. Tiana was in Jack's lap, cuddled in close, hugging him. Jacob was sitting in my lap, holding Sam's lap and cuddling into me. Felix and Marzia had decided to sit down on the couch with us too, sitting next to Mark. Ma and Pa were in the arm chairs beside the couch, and the editors and Tyler were in the other chairs around the room, facing us, sitting comfortably. Steve and Chica were curled up at our feet as well. I looked around the room and smiled. "So, now that everyone is here and comfortable, let's figure out dinner plans. After dinner we're going to film that vlog for the family channel with you girls in it, when we tell you more about the babies, okay?"

All four of our daughters grinned hugely and nodded. Jacob looked a little sad. I rubbed a hand down his back. "I no have any new babies to wook forward to. You say I can shawe dees, wight, Aunt [Y/N], Unca Jack, Unca Mawk? Can I be inna video to?"

I smiled at him and hugged him close. "Well, you'll have to check with your Mommy and Daddy about that, sweetie. I don't mind. And yes, you can share these babies. There are going to be plenty of them, and a lot of love, to go around. We would love it if you helped us show them things as they grow up, just like their sisters will. Right after they are born, they are going to be super teeny tiny and not able to do much of anything for themselves except eat, cry, sleep, and use a diaper. We have to take care of them until they can get a bit stronger and grow up enough to learn to do a few more things. Then we are going to need all the help we can get to teach them everything they are going to need to know and read them stories, play with them, help us keep track of where they are, and even just keep them safe. Think you can help us with that, big guy?"

Jacob grinned and nodded, hugging me back. "Yeah, me thinks so. Tank you." He looked over at Marzia and Felix now, looking shy. "Mommy, Dadda, can I pw-weeeease be inna video with evewybody bout tha babies? I'll be weawwy good. Me pwomises! Honest!"

Marzia chuckled and came over to hug Jacob. "I don't mind, sweetheart. Especially if Aunt [Y/N] let's your Daddy and I be in it too." Marzia looked at me, a humorous glint in her eye. I nodded. She smiled at me and ruffled Jacob's hair, making him squeak and cling to me a little more. I chuckled. "We have an announcement of our own to make. Do you mind if we make it on your video?"

I laughed. "Nope. This is going to be one very eventful vlog though. Lordy-loo." I rested my hand on my baby bump for a minute, smiling happily. "Now, let's order dinner before my hormones decide to derail my brain for the millionth time today."

Jack chuckled next to me. "Or I have another meltdown. Thank ye for bringing me back, love. I had no idea that was going ta happen, ye know."

I looked at him, then leaned in close and kissed him sweetly. "Mmm. I had my suspicions. I'm just glad it wasn't worse than that and I could bring you back as easily as I could. I've been afraid you were going to breakdown for a while now, a lot worse than that and just collapse in a way I couldn't help with. That's why I wanted you to have a few days to de-stress and just relax, rest, and unwind with me and Mark. I know it's not really enough, but I know it's all we can manage right now too. Don't forget how much I love you, Seán, _**mo fhear céile an-gnéasúi**_."

Jack smiled and blushed faintly, then kissed me back. Mark grinned at both of us, humming a contented noise out at us. Felix laughed. "What the hell did you just say to him, [Y/N]? I know it was Irish, and from the way he responded, I think it must have been a little dirty."

Ma laughed. "Not really, laddie. "She called him her very sexy husband. That's fair tame, considering what I've heard tha three of them say in English, ta each other. Poor Jackaboy just seems ta get more flustered when she says things ta him in Irish. None of us are sure why, but it's adorable."

Jack blushed brighter and flapped a hand, burying his head in my shoulder to hide his blush now. I smiled and kissed his forehead and leaned over, whispering to him. "You know Ma's right, Seán. I've said things far more embarrassing, and so have you and Mark, much louder. Just stay calm. It's not like the whole world doesn't know you're a sexy beast of a man, husband mine. I'm just glad I don't have to share you with anyone but Mark." I growled a soft sound in his ear and nipped his earlobe, playfully. Jack looked at me and grinned, then swatted me away. I laughed and sat back up, my eyes full of mischief and love. 

Jack returned to look and smiled at me, then leaned up and kissed me again. "Thank ye angel. Ye're right I know. Ye just make me feel so much better." Jack rested his head against my shoulder again with a small sigh, his hand going behind Sammi's back as he cuddled both of us close. 

Felix grinned at all of us. "Jesus Jack. You're so sticky sweet today I think I'm going to get cavities. What happened to you, bro?" I looked over at him, a glint of mischief still in my eye. He didn't seem to notice. "It's a little sickening."

Marzia started to put a hand on Felix's shoulder to stop him, but I just laughed, confusing both of them a little. "You have no idea what you're talking about, yet again Felix. Seán's sentiment may have sounded sweet and innocent, but there is subtext that you don't know about and I'm not going to tell you. You don't know everything that goes on between us, and you never will." I smiled at Jack, who returned my smile and closed his eyes, scooting a little closer, relaxing again. "Thank you for staying calm, Seán. I hated seeing you so upset earlier. It nearly broke my heart."

Jack kissed my shoulder. "I'm sorry love. Everything is just finally catching up with me. It was too much." 

I nodded and rested my head on top of his. "I know. I was expecting it, for days now. It still made me sad and upset. I thought maybe I had done enough to actually prevent it, between everything I managed to pull off over the last few days."

Jack opened his eyes and smiled a bit brighter, meeting my eyes. "Mmm. Ye did an amazing job taking care of me, lass. Things would have been a far sight worse if ye hadn't done all that and if ye hadn't made Mark and me rest up and relax with ye so much tha last two days. We're both a load calmer than we would have been had ye not forced us inta some down time. Ye're better off for it too. And we got ta spend tha time cuddling with ye, something we both enjoy a very great deal, helping ye keep tha babbies calm, feeding ye up, and making sure ye actually managed ta sleep a bit. Ye've been being so sweet and cooperative about everything, it's wonderful. Even as busy as things have been, and as crazy as tha last week has been. Ye've kept us grounded and steady. Ye've no notion how much I needed that, how much that means ta me, how much I love ye for that."

I smiled tightly as I lifted my head to kiss Jack again. "Don't underestimate how much I understand you and your feelings, my love. I think I know you and Mark both pretty damn well. It's one of the reasons I can read you both so clearly and know how to help you so well. And I would move heaven, hell, and everything in between to keep you, Mark, and our family safe and happily together. You have no idea of what I am fully capable of, the true lengths to which I would go to for all of you, or the depths of my feelings. This was just a scratch on the surface, the merest tip of the iceberg. I told you, you weren't getting away from me, now or ever." I sighed and melted into him as I kissed him. Jack smiled into my lips as he kissed me back, the last of his tension and stress melting away like snow in a spring rain, simply dissolving as though it had never been there at all. When we broke the kiss, Jack leaned against me and rested his forehead against mine, content to just breathe in the peace for a moment. I kissed his forehead and reached one hand up and fixed his hair, getting it out of his face for him. His smile quirked sideways at me, amused, as he thanked me with his eyes. We shared a silent conversation, held between us in just eye contact for a few seconds.

Ethan broke the silence. "So Jack, um, what are your plans for this week coming up? Other then training Robin, I mean, and recording some videos, obviously. Anything exciting planned?"

Jack grinned and looked over at Ethan, who was practically bouncing in his seat, his energy overflowing. "Well, Mark, [Y/N], and I are going tha rest a bit this week. Adam and Gary are going ta train ye lot, mostly. We're even going ta cut back on recording some this week. We have a pretty big buffer of videos, so we can actually take some time off, and all of us need it right now. Ye three can get ta know us a bit better, wait until tha new equipment gets here and ye can get it all set up how ye want it, get familiar with yer new setups, and get comfortable with everything with no real pressure. Our current buffer of videos is either two or three months worth of videos, I think, with no recording done in that time, and there's no way any of us wold go that long without making videos. We'd go crazy. But this way ye can all get properly settled in before ye get thrown in tha deep end and no one will have any pressure on them before they are ready. [Y/N]'s assistant, Danica, is an editor too, so if things get too crazy, she can always come out ta help with something for an hour or so, but she's almost as busy as we are, most days. [Y/N] keeps her hopping, trying ta keep up with everything our lovely lass is in charge of at work and just remembers on a daily basis for everyone. Ye'll soon see what we mean, no doubt. As for none work stuff, Mark has a doctor's visit follow-up ta see if his casts can come off on Wednesday and my wife has another baby doctor visit on Friday, ta check in and make sure she's gaining tha weight she needs ta and everyone is doing well. Tha doctor needs her ta come in every week from now on, just ta keep a closer eye on her. We have ta do everything we can ta keep her safe as well as tha wee babbies now." Jack rubbed a hand across my belly, absentmindedly humming a small noise of contentment, making me smile. I rested my hand on top of his gently, just sharing the touch.

Ethan nodded. "You bet. I just wondered. I like being able to play with your daughters and getting to know you three is awesome. Plus, having the time to work on my channel and look for an apartment before you need me is really nice too, I just feel a little guilty, just sitting around, doing nothing, eating your food and taking up space here at your house."

I laughed. "Ethan, don't worry about it. Don't any of you worry about that. We have more than enough room and we love to feed people. It's not a problem, at all. We invite people over all the time. You guys are doing us a huge favor by being here and waiting until we're ready, plus the fact that you are bonding with our daughters and keeping them happy and watching them helps us out too. It's more then worth it to us to provide some food, a place for you to stay, and the Internet access you need to do your YouTube and Twitch stuff. Just let us know if there is anything else we can help you out with, okay? Like I said, it feels like you guys are doing more for us than we are doing for you, at this point."

Kathryn smiled and shook her head. "That somehow seems wrong. We're just sitting around basically on vacation, waiting for you be ready for us. I really hope you aren't paying us yet."

Jack and Mark traded looks with me. We hadn't figured that out yet. All three editors crossed their arms. Robin spoke up. "Until we actually start editing and submitting things, we aren't comfortable getting paid. We all talked about this, together. You three are being too generous as it is, we feel like. There's no way we can take advantage of the situation any more than we already are. You won't win this argument."

I held up a hand. "Fine. But Robin, we do want to pay you for the time it took you to edit and post the video of the ultrasound from Friday. And if you still want to help us record the family vlog today to post on the shared channel and edit that, we're going to pay you for that too. We'll just have to figure out how many hours it has taken you over both days and tell Mandy. Tyler, you're getting paid too, because your managing other things, and you can't argue with me. I know you've been fielding the phone calls and emails and helping arrange things already. Danica told me so. Don't even bother arguing. You're getting a set salary anyway, regardless of how many hours a week you work, same as Mandy, unless you stat working an insane amount of overtime. Then both of you are going to get bonuses."

Tyler frowned at me. "You're so stubborn. Fine. As long as you three rest and keep doing what you're supposed to, I guess I won't argue." Tyler looked at all three of us, snuggled together, and the kids cuddled up in our laps, and smiled. "Actually, you guys look a lot better now then you did earlier. The rest is already doing you good. I'm happy to see that. You guys have been way too stressed and under too much pressure as it is. Let your friends and family help out more. We're all worried and offering, for god's sake. None of us mind, or we wouldn't be offering in the first place. You three just focus on each other and relaxing for a few days or a week and let us handle the rest for a while. The world won't fall apart without you."

I chuckled ruefully and nodded. "I know. I've been saying the same thing all day. We're really going to try to do exactly that, Ty. Just keep reminding us, will you? And when we do start recording again, we still need to take it easy. We have enough of a buffer to go slow, and the fans have all said to a break if we need to, at least until the babies are a few months old, so they can get here safely and we can recover a little. They understand the family has to take priority sometimes. I'm hoping we won't have to do that, but it's good to know all three fanbases support that idea before we even suggested it."

Everyone nodded. Sam looked up at me and patted my tummy, feeling the babies kicking near her head. "Momma, can we's find out 'bout our sibings now, peas?"

I smiled. "Well, sweet pea, we were going to do a video about it after we decide about dinner. Can you wait just a little longer, for me?" Sammi sighed and nodded, patting my belly again, playing gently with the babies. I smiled and stroked her hair. "Thank you, sweetheart." I sighed and looked around the room. "Okay. Dinner. We were thinking of calling in an order of Chinese food. Does that sound good to everyone?"

The group nodded. Ethan looked a little shy. "Um, mostly. Just be sure to order from someplace that doesn't use peanut oil and make double sure my dish doesn't have peanuts. I'm allergic."

I smiled brightly at him. "So are the girls and I. Actually, my allergy is worse than the girls, so I have to be fairly careful, but we all watch out for nuts anyway. Everyone already knows, except you guys I guess, this is a peanut free household. When Jack and Mark want something with nuts or peanut butter, they eat it when I'm not around, or when they are out without me, which does happen occasionally. They don't want to put me in the hospital or risk my life and I don't want to put them through the guilt of having an accidental exposure, for me or the girls, if they eat something and kiss us or have some on their hands and it triggers a reaction. We all three agreed it was safer that way. Our friends know to wash their hands carefully before they come over if they've had nuts beforehand." I shook my head, still smiling. "You're safe here Ethan."

Ethan blinked. "Holy crap. Even my parents weren't that careful. I mean, they were careful, but it was just one person with an allergy, and my allergy isn't that bad. I have plenty of time to get treated, if it flairs up. What about you? It sounds like yours might be worse."

I looked down and nodded. "It's bad. Walnuts and peanuts both trigger it. I can't breathe, my throat and tongue swell, and I throw up. I get really bad hives too, sometimes they even make my skin peel. I usually have to go to the hospital. And since most other nuts are roasted in peanut oil, I just have to avoid nuts in general, or if I dare try any, I go with dry roasted and hope for the best. I usually just skip nuts completely though, because too many of them trigger allergic reactions. I carry an Epipen for my nut allergy and for bee, wasp, and hornet stings, but I'd rather not have to use it, you know? Benadryl doesn't really work either, even though it's supposed to help."

Ethan nodded. "Wow. That's pretty bad."

I shrugged a little, making sure not to dislodge any of my snuggle buddies. "Ehh. My cousin is a lot more allergic. She almost died when she was little from playing with a toy a little boy who had eaten potato chips fried in peanut oil had played with before her. That's an extreme allergy. Our family is used to watching for nuts in things by now. I just wanted to let you know this is a safe space for you, as far as food goes." I smiled at him. Suddenly I had an idea. I looked at Mark and Jack, catching both there eyes. Jack raised an eyebrow. "Seán, my love, I have an idea, can you push me into the kitchen for a minute to discuss this with Mark? We can go get some snacks and drinks while we decide on dinner and get ready to record."

Jack smiled and nodded, helping the girls get settled on the couch for just a minute with out us and handing Felix Jacob. Jacob pouted but didn't really fuss too much. Then Jack lifted me into the wheelchair and pushed me into the kitchen and went back for Mark. Tyler had already moved him from the couch to the other wheelchair. Jack smiled and thanked him. Mark joined me in the kitchen, at the table, and Jack sat down next to us, grinning. "So lass, what was yer brilliant plan? I can see it must be something big, ta have us all come in here like this."

I smiled and nodded. "Mhm. I think we should offer to have Ethan rent the apartment space in the guest house. You know the entire basement floor over there is set up to be an apartment, including a room that is already soundproofed and could easily be setup as a recording room. Our internet is plenty fast and he wouldn't have to worry about looking for an apartment that way, but he'd still have his own place and his own space, plus he wouldn't have a commute. On our side, we wouldn't have to worry about arranging times to meet with him as much or eating into his schedule as badly because we'd know it better. We can negotiate with this with him and see if he's interested of course, but we can offer, and include the room and board in his contract, just taking it out of his paycheck directly, like work used to do for us at the beginning for our apartments out here in LA. What do you guys think?" I paused biting my lip, thinking hard. "Oh, and I think we ought to offer the same deal to Tyler, for the attic suite in the guest house as well. Neither one of those suites gets used much and when we bought this place we didn't even know about them. Even if the whole family stays over, we'll still have plenty of room. Especially since they usually end up staying at a hotel instead, except for a few of our favorite people who we make stay here." I grinned. "Should we see if Kathryn is interested in staying here too, in the basement suite here in the house? It doesn't have the extra room for a recording studio, but since she doesn't have a channel, that might not be a problem. She strikes me as someone who might want more quiet and space though."

Both guys looked at me and blinked. Mark grinned. "Whoa babe. All of this just came to you now?" I nodded. "You're a genius. This solves everyone's housing issues all at once, except Robin's."

I laughed softly. "He's not moving here, Mark. He's staying in Sweden. If he were moving, I would have figured something out for him first, if I could have. You know how much my brain mulls things over to try to fix problems. So you want to do this?"

Mark nodded. "Yes, absolutely. This is really thoughtful. And it will help everyone out. They don't have to do it, if they don't want to, but I suspect they will, at least Tyler and Ethan. Like you said Kathryn might not. But then again, she might surprise us. You never know."

I looked at Jack. "Seán? What do you think? It's your house too, love."

Jack smiled. "I know. I think this is really smart. Mark's right. This does solve everyone's problems. Ye are super smart ta figure this out like this, love. Thank ye." I smiled back at him and nodded softly. Jack came over and kissed me, then leaned over and kissed Mark. He handed Mark a tray, filled it with snacks, mostly things like fruit, popcorn, veggies, pretzel, and chips, then pushed Mark back into the living room to get him settled back on the couch before coming back to get me and a tray of drinks. I rolled over to the fridge and started getting drinks assembled, pulling out water, apple juice, iced tea, and lemonade. I set the pitchers on the table for Jack and waited. He smiled when he came back. "Thank ye love. Let me just grab tha tray for ye ta hold and tha cups. It looks like ye already got everything else ready for us. Let's go." Jack handed me the tray and set the cups and pitchers on it while I held it steady, then he rolled me out, back to the couch. He took the tray again, set it on the table, lifted me back onto the couch, next to Mark again and got me settled, then poured drinks for everyone, passing them around and sat down beside me, practically in my lap once more. I hugged him as close as I could, happy to have him there. He grinned at me and hugged me back fiercely. 

Mark smiled at both of us, wrapped his arms around us as much as he could, and hugged us too. Then he let go and looked at Ethan, Tyler, and Kathryn. "Okay. After a fast discussion, we have an offer to make the three of you who are on my team. Sorry Robin, this doesn't effect you, but you aren't moving to LA, so that's why." Robin grinned and nodded, sitting back to listen and watch. Ethan and Tyler looked up, paying more close attention. Kathryn had already been paying close attention to Mark, since he started talking, so she just shifted in her seat, looking a little nervous. "Um, [Y/N] had a possible solution to your housing issue. A more permanent one I mean. We have two apartments in the guest house, one in the attic and one in the basement, both fully furnished and fully equipped to be full apartments, each with separate entrances. Ethan, we were thinking you could rent the basement one, if you wanted, since it has a room that would work really well as a recording studio with a little padding. It's even soundproofed already. We think someone played music in it before. Tyler, we thought the attic room might be better for you, because of the layout. If you're interested, I mean guys."

I sighed. "Kathryn, we have a smaller basement apartment here in the house too. It's separate from the main living space, off my art studio and the guys basement gaming area, so it's fairly quiet most of the time. Obviously, none of you have to take us up on this, but you can think about it if you want. It would save you the hassle of having to try to find somewhere to rent here in LA, the commuting, and expense of having to have a car, if you don't want one. You are more than welcome to get one, if you do, or use one of ours. Our thought was, we could have your rent and an allocation for food taken out of your paychecks automatically if you wanted. Seán and I had something similar when we first moved out here to LA, with the TV show, all arranged ahead for us, in renting our apartments. They took care of everything ahead of time so we didn't have to do anything."

Ethan, Tyler, and Kathryn looked at each other, then back over at us. Tyler smiled. "I don't need to think about it. I'm in. This is a great idea. Thanks for suggesting it. You guys are amazing."

I smiled, blushing faintly. Ethan grinned from ear to ear. "Hell yeah. I mean, I want to look at the place first, but I doubt I'm going to say no. This sounds perfect. Plus, I love the fact that you guys have the dogs I can play with and your kids. Your girls are super sweet."

Jack smiled at the girls. "Tha girls are a delight most of tha time. When they behave, Tha rest of tha time, they can be unholy terrors. Then Momma has ta get scary."

All four girls shivered and grinned at him, shaking their heads, cuddling closer to him and the rest of us. I laughed. Kathryn smiled. "Yeah, I think I'd like to look over the basement apartment. I'm probably going to say yes as well. I do have a couple of questions, but this does seem pretty perfect."

I raised an eyebrow. "Like what? Ask away."

Kathryn smiled. "Well, for instance, I like cats. Could I get one?"

I smiled. "Well, we'd have to ask you to keep them in your apartment, because of allergies, but I don't see why not. Seán, the girls, and I are all mildly allergic to cats. It's not bad, just some runny noses and itchy, water eyes. Maybe some sneezing." 

Kathryn nodded. "Sure. That won't be a problem. Question two, does the apartment downstairs have a outside entrance?" I nodded. She smiled again. "Good. I doubt I'll use it, but I like the idea of being able to come and go without people keeping track of me."

I waved a hand. "I get it. That's why I like my art studio. I use it to get away from everyone else sometimes. I need time alone. Not so much now, but every once in a while I just need time to myself. All the the art studio has a small patio and so does the entrance to the basement apartment. The apartment even has a small garden terrace type area, that I have a small container garden in. We can move it if you want to grow some plants of your own, or you are welcome to tend my herbs and veggies for me right now. I use those to cook with, mostly." 

Kathryn smiled. "That will be lovely, thank you. I like plants and I certainly don't mind tending yours for you, especially while you are so pregnant. I doubt it's easy for Jack to tend to everything that needs done as it is. That's an easy chore for me to pick up and one I'll very much enjoy doing."

Jack smiled now too. "Fantastic. Thank ye lass. I don't mind it, but ye're right. It is hard ta keep on top of everything. We have a gardener who comes out and mows and tends tha plants once a week, but tha garden really should be watered twice a week at least." Kathryn nodded, hugging the pillow in the chair she was sitting in, curling up a little more, looking happy and comfortable. I looked around the room. Everyone looked very happy and relaxed, fitting in well and blending into our lives in wonderful ways. The girls were all huddled together, cuddling Jack and I. Marzia and Felix were leaned against each other next to Mark, with Jacob in their laps. Ma and Pa were watching everyone, looking content and relaxed as Pa read and Ma knitted. Tyler and Ethan had settled back in their seats while we talked, although Ethan still looked like he was ready to spring out of his seat at any moment. Robin was smiling and looking around the room, watching everyone as well. And Mark, Jack and I were still cuddling on the couch. I released a small noise of contentment, making Mark and Jack chuckle and hum back a similar sound. Jack kissed my shoulder gently. "All right, my lovely wife, ye got everyone all arranged. Now we need ta get ye fed. Let's plan dinner properly, get ye a snack, and film this video. Then we can just relax with tha girls and either play a game or maybe snuggle and watch some TV. What do ye little princesses think?"

The girls squealed and grinned, clapping their hands. "Yah! Daddy's so smart! We wove ye Daddy!" All four of them were chorusing at the same time, more or less. 

I chuckled and raised a hand for quiet. "Shh. First we need to get the video set up. And before that, someone has to make a phone call, to order the food. Now, who wants what for dinner? Girls, we're going to get Chinese food, so think about that, okay? That's thinks like chicken with broccoli, egg foo young, and garlic shrimp. What do you want Sammi?"

Sam scrunched her face up, thinking hard. "Pineappe chicky, peas, Momma. And noodes."

I smiled, knowing she meant lo mien. "Okay. Who else wants Pineapple chicken?" Stephanie and Dani both grinned and raised a hand. Tiana shook her head. I looked at her. "Okay Ti, baby, what do you want, sweetheart?"

"Me wants, beef sticks. And pancakes wif veggies." Tiana was firm in her answer.

I smiled at her description of beef yakitori and moo shu. I nodded at her. "You got it sweet pea. Okay. So, we need a large order of Pineapple chicken, a large vegetable lo mien with no onions, Moo shu chicken, and an order of beef yakitori. That covers the girls and a little extra. Seán? What about for you?"

Jack smiled and pressed against me a bit more. "Mm. Hunan Chicken and an egg roll, please." I nodded, turning to Mark.

Mark grinned. "I'll share the Moo shu chicken with Tiana. That sounds really good. And an egg roll for me too, please."

"Sure, sweetheart." I nodded, writing it down on my phone. Then I looked up at Ma. "Ma? What about you?"

Ma blinked. "Um... How about some Orange chicken. Pa and I can share that. And a couple of egg rolls for us as well, lass. Thank ye."

I smiled. "No problem. Are you sure you don't want anything else too?" Ma and Pa both shook their heads. I nodded and added the food to the list. I looked at Felix and Marzia. Felix grinned. "Jacob will just have some of the lo mien and pineapple chicken too, if you thick there will be enough." I nodded. There would be plenty for four toddlers in the two large containers, plus I could always give the girls a little of something else, like the moo shu or some of my food to stretch things if we were running low. Felix went on again. "Great! Marzia and I will share a shrimp with cashews." I bobbed my head noting it on the list too.

I looked over at the editors and Tyler now. "Robin? Tyler? Ethan? Kathryn? What do all of you want for dinner?"

The four of them blinked. Tyler and Ethan both blurted out at the same time "Beef with Broccoli." 

I laughed. "Okay. Two beef with broccoli dinners. Got it." 

Kathryn answered next. "Hmm. I think I'd like a General Tzo's chicken, please."

I nodded, noting it on my list and turned to Robin. He was looking at the menu. He looked up and smiled. "Okay, I'll take an order of these dumplings and a quart of seafood soup, please. And an egg roll." 

I raised an eyebrow. "Is that it for everyone? Nothing else?" Everyone shook their heads. I sighed and decided on my dish, a beef with garlic sauce, without peppers or onions, and called the order in, asking for extra egg rolls, a pupu platter, and an extra order of lo mien, just in case. I also asked for all the food to be made low sodium, remembering Jack's restriction, and asked them to deliver it as soon as they could manage. The restaurant was the one we used often, so they knew us and told us we would have about an hour wait, because of the size of the order and how backed up the deliveries were that evening. I told them it was fine and hung up the call then turned back to the room. "Food's ordered. They said it would be an hour or so, because of the size of our order and the backup in the delivery queue. So let's get a few snacks now, get this video lined up, and film this thing before we eat!"

Everyone grinned and jumped into action. Before long, everyone had a little plate with a small snack on it and Robin had gone off to get the tripod, to set it up with the camera, to record the video for us. Jack had moved over a little and so had I, spreading out on the couch a bit so we weren't quite so merged into each other's sides and the girls had all come over and resumed their seats on our laps. We were sitting shoulder to shoulder now, Mark, Jack, and I, all three of us in frame, on camera, and Felix and Marzia were just out of frame, but would be easy to add to the frame with a simple sweep or a pan shot. Since they had news they wanted to share on this vlog too, I had decided they were going to go after we did our intros. While Robin set the camera up, the rest of us finished our snacks and drinks. I made sure the kids were all clean and moved the plates and cups off camera, handing them to Jack, who stepped away and put them in the kitchen for me. I smiled and gave him a small kiss on the cheek before he went. Mark smiled at our interaction and hugged him on the way past too, helping me wipe the girls faces. I gave Mark a small kiss on the cheek for that too. He smiled brightly at me. "Thanks baby. I love you so much. You've been a rock star today, even though you haven't felt good. Thank you so much for being our sweet angel and relaxing, resting, and taking such good care of us and yourself this week and especially today. It means a lot to all of us to see you willing to do this, and to see you eating and out of pain as much as you are these last two days is great. Jack and I are both over the moon about your progress with that."

I blushed and leaned against Mark's shoulder, yawning. "Hey, I'm listening to all the signals my body is giving me, as much as I can. I was missing some of them because they were being masked and overwhelmed by the pain from how fast my body was having to adjust. The new medicine is doing it's job and helping so, so much, I can barely believe it. It's brought my appetite back, so much so I feel like I've been starved, and I'm just exhausted from not sleeping. I'm still struggling a little because I don't always notice or realize when the babies are in a position that's making it hard to breathe or upsetting my stomach, so I get grumpy and out of sorts, and my hormones are jumping out of control a lot still, but I'm trying to keep a lid on everything as much as I can. Having you two close at hand is helping with that a lot too. For whatever reason, my hormones are a lot calmer when my body can sense you guys around, either by touch or by smell especially. It calms my nerves a lot too. And the two of you are fantastic at helping me manage to get the babies moved to I can breathe, eat, and sleep. I really don't think I would survive this pregnancy without you two at this point."

Mark smiled and kissed my forehead. "That's sweet, angel, but I think somehow you would manage to soldier on. You would be a wreck, I know, but you would find a way, for the rest of the family. You're so much stronger then you believe sometimes. You really are the strongest person I've ever met, by far, and my hero. I know Jack has said the same thing, multiple times. now don't fall asleep there just yet, my sweet, we need to film this video."

I chuckled. "I'm not, Mark. I'm just resting and conserving a little energy. Even though I napped a lot today, I'm still kind of tired. I shouldn't be, god knows, but I am."

Mark just laughed softly, as did Jack, who lifted Sammi and Danni in his arms and settled in his seat beside me, having heard me. "Love, ye've been running none stop for so long it's just a wonder it took ye this long ta wear down. Needing tha occasional break is fine. Ye NEVER take them, even when ye need them. Tha last time ye did was when ye had yer heart surgery. Ye had ta take some medical leave for that, but even then, ye were working on social media, editing, and planning things from yer hospital bed. Ye really didn't take more than a day off other than the actual day of tha surgery and tha day after, when we wouldn't bring ye yer phone or computer. Then ye yelled at us, but we were too worried about ye and tha stress on yer heart."

I blushed. "I know. I overwork myself sometimes. But that's why I'm insisting all three of us take a break now. We are all exhausted and it's really starting to show. We've got the buffer for a reason. We should use it. This is exactly what it's here for." Both guys nodded, then sudden leaned over and kissed my cheeks. The girls giggled and all leaned over to hug me. I smiled as I looked at everyone. Robin cleared his throat and indicted the camera was ready. I nodded. "You can started recording whenever you're ready Robin. Just give us a signal and we'll do our intros."

Robin grinned. "Sure thing. Can everybody clap once for me, please? I want to sync the sound." We all nodded.

I looked at the girls. "Sure thing. Ready girls? Here we go... Three, two, one, CLAP!" Everybody on the couch clapped together, letting us get a clear audio sync signal for the beginning of the video. 

Robin smiled. So did Ethan. "Wow! That was perfect girls! You were so good! You too Jacob! Great job! You guys are all pros, I can tell." Ethan nodded sagely at the kids, giving them thumbs up. The girls giggled and gave him thumbs up back. Jacob hid his face in Felix's shirt, shy at the praise.

Robin gestured to me again. "Whenever you're ready to start now, go ahead. I'll just cut this part out in editing."

I nodded and looked at everyone on the couch. "Ready gang?" Everyone nodded. "Then let's get this vlog under way. First we do intros and get everyone greeted, then Felix and Marzia are going to make their announcement, then we're going to show you girls the video of the babies, and after that, maybe you girls can help me show off the baby bump to the viewer one more time, with a card that says how many weeks pregnant I am. Does that sound god to everybody?" Smiles and nods all around. I gestured for Mark to start.

"Hello everybody, my name is Markiplier. I'm here with my family today, doing one of our shared vlogs. I've got Stephanie sitting in my lap today. Isn't that right sweetheart?"

Steph grinned and kissed her Papa. "Yep. I's sitting with my Papa. Momma's right here too, next ta us, with Tiana."

I chuckled. "Hey people. It's me! [Y/Y/N] here. As Mark and Stephanie said, I'm here with Tiana in my lap. Jack's here too, holding our other daughters, Sam and Danni, just on my other side, and we have a few more guests today too, to film this vlog with us. This is a special vlog today, all about family stuff. So without further delay, here's Jack!"

Jack laughed. "Thank ye love. Anyway... *WAPISH* Top o' tha mornin' ta ye laddies! My name is JackSepticEye! Welcome ta our family vlog. Ye know tha drill by now. So buckle in for this one folks, it's going ta be a long video. Plan yer bathroom breaks accordingly. Before we start on our family stuff though, let's introduce our guests, who have a bit o' news of their own ta share with ye and us. Guys?"

Jack gestured down the couch and Robin swung the camera down to Felix and Marzia. Felix grinned. "How's it going bro's? My name is PewDiePie. I'm here too today with CutiePieMarzia and our son, Jacob. Jacob hasn't ever been in a video with us before despite all the demand, but we thought, what better time than when there were four other toddlers to manage too? So here we are. As Jack mentioned, we do have some news to share with everyone. We wanted to go first, so it's not completely swallowed up or overshadowed by the news they have to share." Felix looked at Marzia. "Do you want to tell them Marzia, or do you want me to?"

Marzia smiled. "I will Felix. We're engaged!" Marzia held up her hand, and turned a ring around that had been flipped so the stone was facing her palm. I gasped, smiling hugely. Marzia heard me and looked over grinning. "Felix proposed last night after the party, before we went home. We've been dying to tell someone and you guys were the ones we wanted to tell first, of course."

I sniffled a little. "That's awesome. I'm so happy for you guys. Sorry for the tears."

Marzia just smiled. "Oh sweetie, don't even apologize. You're pregnant. I know what that's like. When I was carrying Jacob and in that part of my pregnancy, I cried when I dropped a tissue one time. I cried over everything and nothing. I think you're doing a great job. Can I come give you a hug?"

I nodded, sniffling again, still fighting my emotions. Marzia got up and came over and hugged me. I hugged her back, tightly. She was smiling the whole time. Jack and Mark both claimed hugs too. Then she settled back in next to Felix, who was grinning at us. She took Jacob from Felix and gave them both a hug and cuddled Jacob in her lap. Felix got up and came over and hugged me now too. Then he clapped Jack and Mark on the back and sat back down again, still grinning. "Okay, well, that was our big news. We'll let you bros have your vlog back now. We just wanted to share and let you guys know at the same time. Thanks for letting us crash this video."

I chuckled. "You guys are welcome on our videos anytime, you know that. You are like family anyway. Now, let's get on with the announcements on this vlog. We have plenty of things to talk about here and we don't want this vlog to go on for ever here do we? So first, as many of probably saw we posted the video of the ultrasound that we got on Friday. Jack is hiring a new editor, Robin Torkar, or PixlPit as he's known here on online, and he posted it for us on yesterday, while we were busy taking the girls around for trick or treating, which we have some video and pictures of, which we promise we will be posting soon. We had a family costume. The girls were dressed up as some of their daddies egos and channel mascots. Right girls? Do you want to tell everyone who you were dressed up as?"

Sammi grinned and nodded, bouncing in Jack's lap. "Yes, peas! I was Septic Eye Sam! Momma made me tha bestest costume I ever seed, and we all went ta Aunt Marzia and Unca Fewix's house and we trick door treed for a long time, then we went back ta their house and had dinner with Granny and Grampa and Jacob and Katie and sweeped on tha couch. It was wots of fun." I smiled at her as Jack ran a hand down her back.

Dani grinned and nodded. "Yep! I was tha Dr. Daddy is in his videos sometimes. Dr. Steepelsteen."

Jack smiled and kissed her head. "Close baby girl. Dr Schneeplestein. And ye were a very cute version of tha good doctor, lass."

Dani smiled up at Jack. "Thank ye Daddy. He was fun ta pretend ta be. Momma did a good job making my costume too."

Jack smiled at me now. "Aye she did that. She did a right good job on everyone's costumes. She even helped me with my costume when I dressed as Anti and ye Papa when he dressed as Darkiplier. And her costume was incredible. She had tha best costume of all of us, I think. Ye fans are going ta love it, when ye see it. Mark and I certainly did, probably more than we should have."

Felix laughed. "Yeah, you bros were a little hot and bothered by her at the party last night. Not that we really blamed you when we saw her in that outfit. Jesus, man. None of us had any idea how sexy she could be until then." Felix shook his head. "Then you all got kind of flirty and it almost turned into a floor show, not that anyone was objecting."

I laughed again. "Hardly. Everyone was trying to egg us on. And we really weren't being that outrageous. By our standards, or anyone else's really. We kissed a few times and were cuddling together. Just because all of you wanted to see us get freaky doesn't mean we were going to. No matter how much all of you were begging." Felix blushed. Marzia laughed along with me now. Jack and Mark just grinned. The girls cuddled in closer to us. "Anyway, I was dressed as my evil counterpart, Agony, in a costume based on fan art and descriptions I pulled up online. Tiana, do you want to tell our viewers who you were dressed up as, or do you want me to explain it for you, cuddle bug?"

Ti had curled her face into my tummy and was hugging me tight, looking shy. She looked up at me now. "I do it Momma. I's a big girl." I pointed at the camera and she turned around. "Hewo viewers! I's Tiana. I dressed as Papa's favorite wittle biscuit, Tiny Box Tim. But he sayed I was too big, so I had too be Toddwer Box Tiana." Tia looked at Mark for a minute. "Papa? Shoud I have had a crown? 'Cuz I's a Princess?"

I tried to choke back a snort of laughter at this as Mark tried to follow our daughter's thought process. I understood exactly what she meant, but he was clearly lost. Finally I giggled and rescued him. "Baby, if I had thought of it, Toddler Box Tiana would have had a Tiara, since she is a princess. And a skirt. Maybe if you dress up as that again next year, okay?" Tiana nodded happily and I sighed with relief, grateful we didn't have any tears from her or her sisters over anything yet. Mark caught my eye as I looked up and he mouthed a 'Thank you' to me for figuring it out and handling things, to which I just winked and smiled. I turned to Stephanie finally. "Steph, sugar plum, do you want to go now?"

She nodded. "Okay. I was dressed up as Wiford Warfstash. Just wike Papa, with tha pink mustache and yellow shirt, and suspenders. Momma hewped me get tha costume ready. She's reawy good at making costumes." 

I leaned over and hugged her. "Thank you baby. I appreciate the sweet words. All four of you girls looked amazing. So did your two daddies. Everybody looked great this year. Look for the pictures of us going up on Instagram soon so you can all see just what I mean for yourselves, if you want. It was a good Halloween." The four girls all clapped and nodded agreement.

Jacob piped up from Marzia lap. "Yeah! I gots to be a Firemans! It was neat! I gots to howd my girwfwiend's hand too and gots wots of candy."

All of us adults looked at each other briefly, but the kids were all quiet again. I sighed and moved on with the vlog again. "Alright. So now that we've discuss Halloween, let's move on to the next thing. Jack's VISA. Some of you probably saw my tweet on Friday. If you did and sent support our way, thank you. If you didn't here's what's going on, in a nutshell. Jack's VISA didn't get renewed correctly, for whatever reason or was denied, so we've been fighting, tooth and nail, to get him an extension so he can legally stay here in the states. It looked pretty grim for a while, but things have started to turn around a bit, thanks in part to some very tricky maneuvering on my part and getting some new legal assistance. We aren't going to go into a lot of detail, but let's just say Jack's in the process of applying for dual citizenship now and has a three month extension granted, so he can at least stay until I can have the babies safely. If things start to look grim, we can all just pack up and go to Ireland for a while, then come back to the states if need be. Ireland has already offered Mark, as well as any friends and family of ours who wish to come over with us, dual citizenship with express and priority processing. My dual citizenship, as well as all of our daughters had all gone through already. Even if we don't go over to Ireland, we are planning to file to get Mark Irish citizenship, just in case something comes up, somewhere down the line. Who knows what the future might hold. I always like to have just that little bit of extra in my back pocket to help keep us ahead of the game."

Jack nodded. "Ye would all be surprised how much it has helped, knowing she has all these backup plans in place for us. She keeps us all safe and well in hand but also well cared for. We love her ta pieces for it and would do anything in our power ta keep her safe. Ye all have no notion." Jack leaned over and rested his head on my shoulder now, just leaning on me comfortably. I looked down at him for a minute before I looked back at the camera. He was smiling softly as he stroked the girls hair, cuddling all three of us now. I couldn't resist giving him a hug before we continued. He smiled and kissed me, fully relaxed once more.

Mark chuckled beside us. "As you folks can see, all the stress has our emotions running a little high, as do the hormones from [Y/N]'s pregnancy. But that's also made her so much more cuddly, which both Jack and I highly appreciate, especially since we're healing and Jack's been feeling so cold and stressed still and I can't move around much. It's been lovely to have her just come snuggle with us and know she's taking the time out to do everything she can to stay rested, healthy, and happy. We're more than happy to stay here with her too, to make sure she's doing just that."

I gave Mark a look. "You haven't been up 'til now, Mister. You've been fighting me far too much. If you had been, I would have been a lot more cooperative too. Anyway, all of us are resting now, relaxing, and trying to stay as healthy as we can for a while. Mark will be going to the doctor this week to see if he can have any of his casts removed and start his physical therapy yet, or if he still needs to wait that for a while and keep using the wheelchair. Jack still needs to mind his blood pressure, heart, and kidney issues. And I have to take extra special care of myself for the babies, so I'm going to be relying on everyone else for help a lot more for a while. We don't like it, but that's just how it has to be for the next little while at least. We will try not to have to have a lot of missed videos, if we can help it, but we might have to cut them back for a while. If we do, we will make another video when that happens, talking about the changes we're making and what to expect. We're not just going to stop suddenly and go silent unless something catastrophic happens and we have no choice. That's why we have the backup videos and the editing teams in place. Everything is all set to run for a while, even if we have to take a break completely, which we really aren't planning to do for any length of time right now. We are taking a few days off right now to try to recover from all the stress and craziness that has been going on the last week or so, but then we'll ease back into video making, just a little slower. If we're quiet on social media for the next few days too, that's why. We just need a little break, to keep from falling apart at the seams."

Jack nodded. "Tha lass is right. I almost did today, a fair few times as it was. We're all incredibly stressed and just need some time ta let ourselves work through this before we come back and deal with anything else. We love ye guys a lot, but this is about our mental health too. We just need a little space ta breathe, just us, without tha spotlight on us. I hope ye can all understand that and respect this decision. We'll all be back as soon as we can. And our editors will still be keeping an eye on things for us, so if ye think ye can run rampant and get away with shit, ye're mistaken. Ye'll have ta deal with us as soon as we get back, and we'll be less than pleased, ta say tha least. Just keep this in mind."

I sighed and kissed Jack's cheek. "Hey, you have been doing great, sweetie. I told you, I have your back, Seán, just like I have the girls' and Mark's, and you all have mine. That's why I'm insisting we all take a break now, together. For all our sakes." I smiled at him, earning a smile in return and a small nod. "Well, that brings us to the last bit of news for all you lovies out there. The baby news, which is what I'm sure you've all been waiting for, watching so patiently. Before we say anything, we're going to play the video of the ultrasound for our daughters here, and Felix, Marzia, and Jacob, who haven't seen it yet, to get their reactions. Mark, Seán, and I have seen it a few times already, but I'm sure we'll still react to it a bit too. We wanted to share everyone's initial reactions on camera, and record them. After that, we'll talk a little more about them and wrap this vlog up folks. Talk to you in a few!" Robin smiled as I cued the ultrasound video on the TV, but he kept the vlog rolling, filming the faces of all of us as we watched the babies on the screen. when the ninth babies was revealed, Marzia gasped and looked over at us, her eyes huge, her hand over her mouth. I was smiling and nodded at her. She blinked, shock clear on her face. The girls were all staring wide eyed as well, looking on with awe. Jacob was practically bouncing with excitement in Marzia's lap. Felix was smiling. looking truly happy for us, especially when he saw how happy the three of us looked watching the video again. After the video ended I looked down at the girls, smiling at them. "So girls, what do you think? You're going to have six more little sisters and three baby brothers coming soon. I know that's one more baby than we were expecting to see, but even Momma, Daddy, and Papa were surprised by the news at the doctor's office on Friday when we found out. It also means Momma has to stay in the wheelchair, beds, or sitting down from now until the babies get here, and be eating more so I can gain the weight I need to and keep myself and the babies healthy to grow up nice and strong, like I did for the four of you."

The girls all nodded and Sammi grinned at me, hugging me tight. "Thank ye Momma! I did ask ye for six more sistas." She popped her thumb in her mouth for a minute, looking at the camera, then looked back up at me, a little unsure for a minute before she took her thumb back out and asked me another question. "Momma? Are ye sure ye wiw stiw have enough wove for aw of us, with dis many babies? It seem like a wot and me no want to get forgotted."

I smiled reassuringly at her and nodded. Jack hugged her close, pulling both Dani and Sammi into a bear hug and not letting them go. "Little lasses, just because tha family is growing doesn't mean we love ye any less. It just means there are more people who love ye and for ye ta love. Yes, Momma, Papa, and I are going ta be busier, but we will always, always, ALWAYS, make as much time for ye four little princesses as we can. Ye four mean so much ta us we can't even begin ta tell ye how important ye really are. We love ye so much. Nobody and nothing could ever change that, ever sweetling, don't ye ever worry. Momma, Papa, and I all have enough love in our heart for everybody. That's tha thing about love, girls, tha more ye love people, tha more love ye have and tha more love ye can share and get back. It's an endless resource, without limits, like sunshine or happiness. Do ye think ye'll ever run out of those things?"

The girls all looked relieved and shook their heads, hugging all of us closely and smiling. I kissed Seán, and hugged Tiana, who was clinging especially tightly to me, stroking a hand down her back. Mark patted Stephanie's head gently, making her giggle. I looked back the girls again. "So anyone else have any questions or thoughts about the babies? You know you can ask me anytime, but right now is a good time to ask."

Tiana smiled at me and hugged the baby bump, talking to the babies now. "Be good for Momma, babies. We seed a movie of you now, so we know yous safe and healthy in there, and growing, but yous still tiny and need more time ta grow. We'll keep Momma safe so she can protect ye, but ye have ta hewp her out by behaving too. No fighting in der, K? Good babies." Tiana patted my belly, feeling the babies gently rolling around to the sound of her voice, I smiled at her sweetness and just rubbed her back a little more, enjoying the quiet family moment, even if it was on video. Let the fans see what we were really like, without filters for a little while and have a glimpse into our everyday life for once, is what I was thinking. Jack leaned into me again, kissing my cheek, then resting his head on my shoulder and cuddling up against me. 

Mark looked at our daughters one more time. "I think if none of you girls have any more questions, we should wrap this video up for now, so Momma and Daddy can rest. Both of them are having a rough day and might need a nap again, I think. I'm doing a little better today, even if I can't move around much, but poor Daddy over there has been so stressed out about so many things it's been making him sick and worn out for almost a week, and he's been trying to hide it from Momma and I. Momma wasn't fooled, even if I was." Mark blushed a little. "She's too smart for that." Mark smiled at me and leaned against me now too. "It's one of the things we all love so much about her. That she can see what we need, even when we try to hide it, and help us with things, whether we want the help or not, without complaining. We'd be lost without you, babe."

I chuckled. "Good thing I don't have any plans on leaving then. Now, remember Mr. Iplier, we are recording, before you get too mushy. I think you're right though, it is time to wrap this vlog up. Well, that's all for today. I love you all, so until next time, I'm [Y/Y/N] saying, be kind to one another and remember a smile can change someone's day for the better. Love ya all! *Mwah* Bye!" I blew my signature kiss to the camera, and snuggled Tiana closer to me after she blew a kiss to the camera as well with a loud "Mwah! Smoochies!" of her own. Sammi, Dani, and Steph all did the same thing, cuddling in close to their daddies and me as soon as they finished, looking sleepy.

Mark smiled. "I guess I'll go next and let Jack finish us up. "Thank you everybody so much for watching. And as always, I will see you in the next video. BU-BYE!" He waved briefly before leaning back into me and pressing a kiss into my cheek and settling again, closing his eyes. I smiled and reached a hand up to straighten his hair a little. 

Jack smiled as he watched and sat up, so he wouldn't hit me when he did his outro and launched into it. "Anyway, thank ye all for sharing yer day with us and coming along on our journey folks. Tha support ye have all shown us has been amazing so far. Thank ye all so much for watching this video. If you liked it, PUNCH that like button in tha face, LIKE A BOSS. And... high fives all around. *WAPISH* *WAPISH* Thank ye guys and I will see all you dudes...IN THE NEXT VIDEOOOO!" Sammi and Dani both high fived their Daddy when he did his outro, earning grins from all of us and hugs afterward. Jack leaned back against me as soon as he finished his high pitched pointing part, slumping tiredly, the animation leaving him entirely. I looked over at Robin, gesturing for him to cut the video and wrapped an arm around Seán as I pulled him closer, practically into my lap now, and ran my hand through his hair, rubbing his head and scalp, massaging away the tension there without even thinking about it, humming out a soft noise of content. Jack's eyes drifted closed and he sighed happily. "Thank ye love. That feels wonderful. Ye always make me feel so good..."

Felix laughed now. "Jesus Jack. You didn't need to share that. I didn't need to hear about what she does to you."

I raised an eyebrow to an impressive height and looked at him. "Really? You made that into a dirty comment and then blamed him? Need I remind you, you were the one asking us to get our freak on in front of the entire party last night, even though I'm highly pregnant. To be fair, you weren't the only one, but still. Think before you speak, Felix. I can, and will say things that are far more likely to embarrass you then either Mark or Jack, especially online or in a video." I smirked. "Not that they are totally safe, but then again, no one is. I don't grant total immunity to anyone."

Mark looked at my expression and laughed. "Baby, you're being a brat again. Even if Felix does deserve it. Seán's right, you do make us feel good, really, really good. Thank you, for everything you do. Especially this last week. Now, let's just have some family cuddles. Girls? Do you want to go play, cuddle with us quietly, or cuddle and watch a movie? We can put one on if you want."

All four girls grinned and chorused at the same time "MOVIE PAPA! MOVIE!" Sammi piped up her opinion next. "Papa, we shouwd wet Jacob pick it, acuz he's our guest. Right?"

Mark and I exchanged amused glances before Mark nodded and answered. "Sure, baby girl. Let's see. Jacob, do you want to watch Mulan, Frozen, The Lion King, or Tangled buddy?" 

I bit my cheek, suspecting we were going to be watching either Frozen or The Lion King. I was surprised when Jacob grinned and looked at Sammi. "Tangwed. It Sammi's favwite. She towd me the other day. She wikes the howse and Fwynn."

I looked at Sammi and grinned, then leaned down to her and winked. "I do too, sweet pea. And I like the fact that the princess doesn't need much rescuing." Sammi beamed at me and nodded. I gave her a kiss on the nose, making her giggle, then sat back up and resumed rubbing Jack's head, making him hum at me again. Mark just chuckled, watching the whole thing. 

Marzia laughed and hugged Jacob. "I'm glad you like Sammi so much, Jacob. It's nice to see you so close to her. And I proud of you for remembering what she likes and thinking about that before you picked the movie. Good boy." Marzia kissed the top of his head. Jacob beamed and cuddled in closer. I grabbed an extra blanket off the back of the couch and offered it over to Marzia and Felix, who snuggled together under it. Robin had disappeared with Ethan and Kathryn as soon as they grabbed the camera, heading for the office to look over the video to edit it. Ma smiled at all of us and put the movie in, dimming the lights. She and Pa settled in to watch with us too. A hush settled over the room as the movie started. 

A minute later, Ethan came back in and sat down on the floor with the dogs. I looked at him, a little worried. He just grinned. "I decided I wanted to watch the movie with you guys instead of editing this video. Robin and Kathryn had it and it really wasn't a three person job anyway. I felt like I was in the way." I nodded with a smile and offered Ethan a bean bag chair and a blanket, which he took both of and he got himself comfortable, Steve curling up in his lap just as the main movie actually started. We paused the movie when the food arrived, about half an hour later, which Felix got up to get, after we gave him the money for it, despite his protests. Ma got plates, forks, chopstick, and spoons to dish the food out, and brought them to us, and we ate where we were, continuing the movie after the food was handed out, a rare treat for the kids, and continued to snuggle. All four kids fell asleep just as the movie finished, making bedtime easy. Marzia and Felix insisted on taking the kids again for the night, seeing how exhausted Jack and I were and we didn't really fight very hard about it. Ma and Pa helped load the sleeping toddlers in the van and even offered to come help with the kids overnight and into tomorrow. Felix and Marzia agreed, so Ma and Pa came back inside to tell us and pack a quick overnight bag. We wished them goodnight with a smile as we cleaned up the food. 

Jack got up long enough to put everything in the kitchen, either in the fridge, the trash, or in the dishwasher. "Alright ye two, bedtime. We're all tired." Mark and I just nodded. "Let me go find Tyler ta help ye Mark."

Mark waved a hand. "Nah. I can manage the one hop from the couch to the wheelchair if you get it close enough. I've done it before, as long as I'm not too achy. I will need you to help me change though, Seán. And you can help [Y/N] to bed where all of us can keep cuddling until we fall asleep." 

I smiled. "That sounds amazing. Actually, if you want to take me back first, I can probably manage to get changed on my own and find a comfortable position laying down after I take my medicines. Then you will have time to help Mark while I'm doing all that. Sound good?" The guys nodded. Jack lifted me up, opting not to use the wheelchair and carried me in, settling me on the bed, then handing me a nightgown. "Thanks, sweetheart. See you in a minute." Jack grinned and nodded. I proceeded to get undressed and changed clothes, carefully, took my medicine, and climbed up the bed, settling into my usual spot in the middle with some care. Just as I got settled, Mark settled next to me, in his pajamas. Jack was on the other side of the bed, climbing in, quick as a wink, in just his boxers, moments later. I blinked. "That was fast."

Jack laughed. "We didn't want ye ta get lonely. So I took off my shirt and then took Mark's clothes off and put him in his sleep pants. He decided ta undo my pants for me." Jack smiled again, only now there was love and a strong burning passion in his gaze. I swallowed. "Are ye up for any more fun tonight, my love? Or should we just let ye rest?"

I reached over and grabbed Jack, pulling him onto me, then kissing him deeply, my hand trailing down his body as I slowly ground against him, showing him how I felt. When I broke the kiss, he looked utterly undone. Mark whined a soft noise out and shift against me, softly grinding his boner against me, reminding me he wanted attention too. I rolled slightly towards him and repeated the exercise, making Mark just as fried as I had done to Jack. when I pulled back again, both men were ready for more, but more than a little mind-blown. Jack recovered first. I let him take the lead. Before long all three of us were done, worn out form another round of sweet, passionate sex. Jack got up and cleaned us all up, while Mark and I cuddled together. As Jack climbed back into bed and curled up against me, rubbing my belly, I smiled, feeling the babies moving down a little more, making it easier to breathe again. Mark hummed a gently lullaby to the babies, as Jack talked quietly to them, trying to get them calm so I could sleep, when both men had felt them kicking up into higher activity again a few minutes ago. I drifted off to sleep with a smile on my face, feeling incredibly loved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long everyone. Here's the new chapter anyway. My health hasn't been great and I've been struggling with pain and depression a very great deal for the past few months, as I mentioned in my Author's Note. I have been to see a doctor and started some antidepressants, but I was diagnosed as having a very severe case of major depressive disorder and the new medicines take a while to get balanced. It's going to take some time for me to get back to normal. I'm still trying my best, and writing when I can, but it's still a bit of an uphill battle at this point. #PMA! 
> 
> In other news, got a ticket to go see Jack when he went on tour here in the states (to the DC show, including a VIP pass!! w00t w00t!). After I got the confirmation I had tickets I let out a VERY undignified screech, much to the consternation of my mother, who was in the room at the time. It was an awesome show and I enjoyed it a lot, even if it did take a lot out of me for almost a week. I even managed to leave him and Wiishu presents at the booth -- nothing too extravagant, just a heat-change Deadpool mug for Jack, and some tea and bracelets for Wiishu. I really hope they got them. Sadly, none of the tour footage has come out from DC. (Every other city, yes, but not DC. WTH, Jack. Come one man!)
> 
> My patreon page is still up, open, and out there, just as a friendly reminder. 
> 
> Oh, and one other thing, I have been more active lately on Twitch and Discord, getting involved with a new community. The streamer's name on Twitch is Grand Gazelle. He's a variety gamer, streaming in the evening almost every night from about 9 pm EST to midnight. The only nights he doesn't stream are Wednesdays and Sundays, normally. I've been made a mod for his channel and his Discord recently, because of how active I've been in helping his channel grow (it's been really fun too. He's a fun guy to watch. His name is Ryan.) You should totally all come by and check is channel out and give him a follow if you can. We're all really friendly too. (Oh, and my brother [who edited my audio/YT stuff] is also on the server as a member. Everyone knows him as Robot/Broboto/DefinitelyMayBeARobot [that's his Twitch handle]) Anyway, I hope to see a few of you over there at some point. My username is the same over there as it is here. {And if you all see me and want a surprise in the chat on Grand Gazelle's twitch stream type !rose and press enter. Trust me, it's hilarious.} [Grand Gazelle Twitch](https://www.twitch.tv/grandgazelle) We regularly provide links to the Discord too, from the stream, so it will be easiest for y'all to jump directly from the chat to the Discord via the link provided. Feel free to join us, we're fun and friendly, I swear! 
> 
> Oh, if you want early access to my stuff, like JacOfAllTrades, come join my Discord server. [QueengeekRose Discord](https://discord.gg/3PkygCm) I posted a pretty long sneak peek there when I had things well under way for some feedback. I think I might start doing that more regularly, as a way to help me see what people think if I get stuck or if things are taking a while. :) There's lots of other interesting stuff going on randomly there too, including D and D sessions on the voice channel occasionally. (I'm a Chaotic Neutral Rogue / Ranger -- little more rogue then ranger, but meh. I like stabbing things. And I rescued a dragon, who I talk to. Yes, a dragon. Even though I have a bit of a shit attitude, in game. LOL.) It also might be a way to help me get some of the editing done a bit more and give me a boost in motivation. ;) I'm also thinking about starting a podcast. I'm talking about it a little more over on discord, trying to decide. Want to voice an opinion? See you there...

**Author's Note:**

> We're BAAAACK! And as always, if you see a mistake anywhere, sing out. Thanks for reading!
> 
> Septiplier AWAY!!
> 
> Oh, and I have no clue how long this will be either. Have a fab day!! ;) Smoochies! *MWAH*!

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Plot Bunnies and Story Starts](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11460387) by [QueenGeekRose](https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenGeekRose/pseuds/QueenGeekRose)




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